The Edo State Government has revoked the appointments of Zaiki Luckman Odamah III and Bamidele Obaitan as the traditional rulers of the Ikpeshi/Egbigere Clan and Ososo Kingdom in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area, respectively.
DAILY POST reports that the Secretary to the State Government, Umar Musa Ikhilor, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday in Benin City.
Ikhilor said the revocation followed a review of the circumstances surrounding ongoing disputes over traditional leadership in the clan and kingdom. He added that the action was taken in the interest of peace, stability, and due process.
He announced the appointment of Mr Nicholas Odamah as regent of the Ikpeshi/Egbigere Clan with immediate effect, pending the determination of the rightful occupant of the throne. The state government has mandated Mr Odamah to oversee clan affairs in a custodial capacity and ensure full cooperation with government directives.
Regarding Ososo Kingdom, the government directed the elders of the four quarters (Unukhus) and the Council of Chiefs to meet, consult widely, and submit a consensus candidate for appointment to the vacant stool. Ikhilor stated that the submission must be made through the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs within a timeframe to be formally communicated by the Ministry. He added that the process must reflect the customs, rotation principles, and collective will of the Ososo people.
The statement directed Bamidele Obaitan and Zaiki Luckman Odamah III to immediately hand over all government properties, instruments of office, and materials in their possession to the Chairman of Akoko-Edo Local Government Council without delay.
Citizens of Ososo, Ikpeshi, Egbigere, and the entire Akoko-Edo Local Government Area were advised to remain calm and go about their lawful activities without fear. Security agencies have been notified and directed to maintain peace, law and order, and ensure the protection of lives and property throughout the affected communities.
DAILY POST recalls that the sacked traditional ruler of Ikpeshi/Egbigere, Zaiki Luckman Odamah III, had in September petitioned the State House of Assembly, urging it not to confirm Prof. Roland Otaru as a commissioner in the state cabinet over alleged partiality in the chieftaincy dispute.
In a petition addressed to the governor on 29 August 2025, the monarch argued that confirming Otaru would effectively make him a judge in his own case. He alleged that Otaru had opposed his ascension to the throne following the death of his father on September 11, 2011.
According to him: “Prof. R.I. Otaru has, since the death of my father, HRH Momodu Odamah II, been working tirelessly against my nomination, traditional installation, and eventual appointment by the state government as a successor to my father.
“From 2012 till date, Prof. Otaru has been acting and continues to act as counsel to the Akoko-Edo traditional council that unsuccessfully challenged my appointment.
“To this end, he unsuccessfully opposed the suit I filed before the High Court, Igarra, which now has a pending appeal at the Supreme Court.
“In addition, in December 2020, Prof. Otaru, who is from the Emegbe family of Igun kindred, raised one Chief Joseph Shuru Uduagbamen from his kindred and sought to impose him as the Zaiki of the Ikpeshi/Egbigere Clan. To carry out this plot, they filed a case before the Igarra High Court to set aside the gazette/declaration regulating the appointment of the traditional ruler.
“The suit was dismissed on 16 March 2022, and the Emegbe family proceeded to the Court of Appeal, Benin. From 2012 till date, Prof. Otaru has consistently opposed the position of the Edo State Government, the Attorney-General of Edo State, and the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in all court cases concerning my ascension to the throne, from the High Court to the Court of Appeal and now the Supreme Court.
“Thus, his membership of the State Executive Council will ultimately put him in a position that makes him a judge in his own case, that is, to supplant the lawful position of the Edo State Government that has never filed or accepted any contrary position to that contained in the chieftaincy declaration gazette.”
The traditional ruler stressed that his petition was necessary to lay the facts bare before Otaru assumed office as a commissioner. He added that the petition aimed to ensure that appointments of traditional rulers in the state fully comply with the gazette or declaration passed into law by the government.
DAILY POST also recalls that on April 30, 2025, Governor Monday Okpebholo sacked three traditional rulers in the Edo North senatorial district. The sacked rulers were Alhaji Umoru Inusa Umoru, Aidonogie of South Ibie; Engr Lukman Akemokue, Okuokpellagbe of Okpella; and Dr George Oshiapi Egabor, Okumagbe of Uwano Kingdom.
The governor said the dismissals were due to appointment irregularities, violation of customary succession laws, and alleged involvement in kidnapping and insecurity. He reappointed Alhaji Aliyu Kelvin Danesi as Aidonogie of South Ibie and appointed Engr Michael Eshioronoya Sado as Okuokpellagbe of Okpella following selection by the kingmakers. The appointment to the stool of Okumagbe of Uwano Kingdom remains pending.
