OLU OF WARRI STOOL: Ginuwa 1 Ruling House Suspends Chief Ayiri Emami as Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom, nominates Prince Tsola Emiko as Olu designate

OLU OF WARRI STOOL: Ginuwa 

1 Ruling House  Suspends Chief Ayiri Emami as Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom, nominates Prince Tsola Emiko as Olu designate

               Chief Ayiri Emami

Following the recent controversy surrounding the stool of the Olu of Warri, the Ginuwa 1 Ruling House with Prince Emma Okotie-Eboh as Regent have suspended the Ologbotsere of Warri kingdom (The Traditional Prime Minister), Chief Ayiri Emami on the charge of his misuse of office and immediately gave power to the Iyatsere of Warri to act in his stead.

They made the declaration during a Press briefing held at the front of the Palace of the Olu of Warri(Aghofen), on Tuesday March 31, 2021.

Prince Toju Emiko who addressed Newsmen on behalf of the Regent and the Ginuwa 1 ruling House stated categorically that the 1979 Edict on which the Ojoye-Isan and other fraudulent Itsekiris are clinching on  to cause meyem in the kingdom was hurriedly put together by a hand few of Leaders to meet the exigencies of that era.

"This so called 'edict' annoying as it is, was never presented to the people to discuss it at a General Assembly of Itsekiris for purposes of ratification and general acceptance. But, the last two Olus were crowned using this aberration, despite protests and Court cases against the law each time"

“Now we have come to another cross road. The Ginuwa 1 Ruling House, which is the only Ruling House in the land and which has EXCLUSIVE powers to nominate a successor to the throne, has been meeting in the last three months, after a convocation of bonafide members of the House, to nominate a successor to the throne. In the end, Prince Tsola Emiko, was picked as the most qualified person to sit on the throne at this time. This was done only after his name was submitted to the Ruling House by majority of the descendants of the last three Olus, even in compliance with the vexatious edict”.

Prince Toju Emiko further stated that the 1979 Edict does not give the Ojoye-Isan power to disqualify any candidate presented to them by the Ruling House.  “This singular illegal action of ‘disqualification’ is now threatening the relative peace in Warri Kingdom and almost tearing apart the very fabric of our existence. He (Chief Emami) is to immediately step aside as the Ologbotsere and stop parading himself as such",

“The Iyatsere, who is next in Command and in-fact the most Senior Chief, who accompanied Ginuwa I from Benin to found the Warri Kingdom, is hereby appointed as Acting Chairman of the Council of Chiefs and the Olu’s Advisory Council. He is to take over immediately and steer the remainder of the process to give us an organized, speedy closure”, he averred.

Following the decision of the Regent and the Ginuwa 1 Ruling House to immediately transfer power to the Iyatsere of Warri Kingdom, Chief Johnson Atserunleghe,  when contacted by Warri Voice Newspaper said that he has not been briefed by the Ginuwa 1 Ruling House, but appealed to all  aggrieved Itsekiris to thread with caution.

Meanwhile, the Ginuwa 1 Ruling House has strongly reaffirm their stand of Prince Tsola Emiko as the Olu designate.