Ikpeshi Community Appeals to Okpebholo to Resolve Lingering Kingship Crisis

The people of Ikpeshi in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State have appealed to Governor Monday Okpebholo to urgently intervene in the community’s lingering kingship crisis, warning that failure to resolve the dispute could trigger violence and disrupt economic activities.

The community said the prolonged disagreement over the traditional leadership could lead to loss of lives, destruction of property and lasting damage to relationships among families and kindred if peace is not restored.

Speaking to journalists on behalf of the community on Thursday, Ms Peggy Agbo said the crisis followed the Edo State Government’s decision to revoke the regency of HRH Nicholas Odamah III and appoint Lukeman Momodu as his replacement.

Agbo said the decision had generated “considerable concern and dissatisfaction among sections of the Ikpeshi community”. She explained that the government, through the Secretary to the State Government, Musa Ikhilor, had cited disputes over traditional leadership in the clan as the reason for removing the regent.

According to her, the government had said the decision was taken in the interest of peace, stability and due process. However, she questioned what had changed since the government first intervened in the leadership dispute and whether any new development justified the removal.

“The question now is: What has changed? Having reviewed the disputes over traditional leadership in the clan and taken a decision in the interest of peace, what new development has led to the purported removal of the regent, who has brought peace and tranquillity to the Ikpeshi/Egbigere Clan?” she asked.

She urged Okpebholo to treat the matter as urgent, calling for impartial engagement and adherence to due process to prevent further escalation and rebuild confidence in the institutions handling the dispute. Agbo also appealed to the governor to reverse the decision and suspend the action.

However, the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Kassim Afegbua, said the government’s decision was based on court rulings.

“What I can say on the matter is that the state government took the decision based on the court decision,” Afegbua said.

The Ikpeshi kingship dispute has continued for months, with rival claims to the traditional stool prompting repeated interventions by the Edo State Government.