Community protests over Obaseki’s appointment of Akemokhue as Okpella monarch

The protesters kikicking against the choice of Lukman Akemokhue as the newly installed Okueokpellagbe of Okpella

Residents of Okpella in Etsako East Local Government Area on Saturday protested against the appointment of His Highness, Lukeman Akemokhue, as the newly installed Okueokpellagbe of Okpella by the Edo State Government.

Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, had on Friday approved the appointment of Lukeman Akemokhue as the Okueokpellagbe of Okpella in a letter dated September 26, 2024, with Ref No CH266/T3/93.

Some community leaders and elders who opposed the choice of Lukeman Akemokhue as the newly installed Okueokpellagbe of Okpella described Obaseki’s action as an alleged imposition on the throne of Okpella.

Obaseki’s decision came almost a year after the entire Okpella Traditional Council, including the Senior Ataru of Okpella, Chief Odabor, nominated Engineer Mike Sado as the chosen candidate for the position of Okueokpellagbe of Okpella in line with the traditions of the land.

The declaration of Lukeman Akemokhue sparked protests in the Okpella community, with residents insisting that the governor should immediately reconsider his decision to avoid plunging Okpella into a communal crisis.

Some traditional heads accused Governor Godwin Obaseki of sowing discord among the locals following his choice of Lukeman Akemokhue, labelling it a blatant desecration of their sacred traditions and asserting that it is a politically driven decision.

“These actions are an affront to our heritage,” declared a prominent community leader, Engineer Abu Abdulganiyu, who led the protest, warning against any attempt by Obaseki to install his preferred candidate for the Okuokpellagbe of Okpella stool.

Speaking during the protest in Okpella, Abdulganiyu said, “The traditional stool is not a tool for political bartering or compensation, and its sanctity must be respected.

“We have a king, and we know who we want. Obaseki can’t impose a king on us when he has only a few weeks left in office,” he said.

Abdulganiyu had earlier warned that any attempt to impose a political monarch on the community would be resisted by the people of Okpella.

Recall that the state government, through its Ministry of Local Government, Community and Chieftaincy Affairs, represented by Monday Osaigbovo, presented the letter of appointment to Akemokhue, stating that the State Executive Council had approved his appointment as the Okueokpellagbe of Okpella, Etsako East Local Government Area of the state, effective from 26th September 2024.