Concerned indigenes of Ikpeshi/Egbegere Clan in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State have appealed to Governor Monday Okpebholo to suspend the state government’s decision terminating the appointment of their Regent, Mr. Nicholas Odamah III.
The group made the appeal through its coordinator, Ms. Peggy Agbo, at a news conference held on Thursday in Benin City.
The conference followed the government’s decision of October 20 to terminate Odamah’s appointment as regent and restore Lukman Momodu-Odamah to the traditional leadership position. The latest action reversed the government’s earlier decision of November 13, 2025, which had removed Momodu-Odamah and appointed Nicholas Odamah as regent pending the determination of the rightful occupant of the traditional stool.
In announcing the most recent decision, the Secretary to the State Government, Umar Ikhilor, stated that the government had reviewed appeals from concerned indigenes of Akoko-Edo and confirmed that the chieftaincy dispute was already before a court of competent jurisdiction. Consequently, the government terminated Odamah’s appointment and announced the restoration of the status quo.
However, Agbo, flanked by other elders of the community, warned that the development could threaten the relative peace the community had enjoyed under Odamah’s regency. She said the reversal had generated concern among sections of the community and urged the governor to investigate the circumstances surrounding the decision and reconsider it in the interest of peace, stability and due process.
“The circumstances surrounding the revocation of his regency and the subsequent appointment have raised serious questions that deserve transparent examination by the appropriate authorities,” she said.
Agbo also called on the government and relevant security agencies to clarify reports of police allegations against Momodu-Odamah, stressing that such claims should be established through the appropriate legal processes.
She emphasised that the group was not seeking to prejudge anyone but was concerned about the implications of the leadership dispute for the safety and unity of the community.
“We want peace, not war,” she said, appealing to the governor to intervene before the situation escalated.
The coordinator disclosed that the group had petitioned the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 5, the Department of State Services and the Edo Commissioner of Police. An objection had also been submitted to the governor and the State Executive Council.
In addition, the group had approached the court to seek the maintenance of the status quo pending the resolution of the dispute.
Agbo urged all parties to respect due process and called for an impartial resolution that would prevent further tension, protect lives and property, and restore confidence among community members.
When contacted, Momodu-Odamah defended his claim to the traditional stool, citing a 1979 chieftaincy declaration which, according to him, stipulates that succession to the throne should follow the male line of inheritance from father to son.
He insisted that the state government’s decision was consistent with the applicable customary tradition and described the protest as an attempt to influence the government that could not alter the community’s succession rules.
