By Abdul-Kadir Abdullah
A longstanding dispute over the rightful owner of the Aidonogie of South Ibie stool in Etsako West Local Government Area, Edo State, has reached a new boiling point as HRH Umoru Inusa Umoru holds coronation today.
While HRH Umoru Inusa Umoru was recently installed as the Aidonogie of South Ibie by Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki, the deposed Aidonogie, Alhaji Kelvin Danesi, has vehemently rejected the coronation, citing existing court orders.
Danesi, in a statement, maintained that the coronation ceremony was "fictitious and fallacious," arguing that the stool was not vacant and that his 27-year reign as Oba Idanesi II remained valid.
He urged the people of South Ibie to reject the new monarch adding that they should maintain peace, order and dignity while going about their lawful businesses.
"I remain the Aidonogie of South Ibie. So, the stool is not vacant and as such, any coronation done in South Ibie today is contemptuous nullity by subsisting court orders," Danesi declared.
However, a source close to the newly installed Aidonogie, who spoke to journalists on condition of anonymity, insisted that the coronation was legal and supported by the people of South Ibie. He claimed that the ceremony was peaceful and attended by the community, with all relevant security agencies present.
The source also dismissed concerns about the Enrolment of Order for substituted service granted by Hon Justice Ohimai Ovbiagele of the High Court of Justice in Benin City, Edo state. "I am not aware of this," he stated.
The ongoing dispute between Danesi and Umoru over the Aidonogie stool continues to create tension in the South Ibie community. As the legal battle unfolds, it remains to be seen who will ultimately prevail in the claim to the prestigious title of the Aidonogie of South Ibie.
