The Edo State Executive Council has approved the appointment of former Senator Francis Alimikhena as the Okumagbe of Uwanno Kingdom in Etsako East Local Government Area of the state.
The approval was granted on July 6, 2026, ahead of the monarch’s coronation, according to a statement signed by the Chairman of the Media and Publicity Committee, High Chief Tony Akiotu.
Alimikhena represented Edo North Senatorial District in the Senate from 2015 to 2023. He was first elected into the 8th National Assembly in 2015 and served as Deputy Chief Whip. Following his re-election in 2019, he became Chairman of the Senate Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariff.
The statement disclosed that Governor Monday Okpebholo is expected to present the staff of office to the traditional ruler on August 22, 2026.
Akiotu noted that the coronation would attract prominent sons and daughters of the Uwanno Kingdom from within and outside Nigeria. “The coronation will be attended by eminent sons and daughters of the Uwanno Kingdom within and outside Nigeria,” he said.
The appointment marks a significant traditional elevation for the former lawmaker as he assumes the leadership of the Uwanno Kingdom.