I don’t recognise Atuwatse III as Olu of Warri, says derobed Ologbotsere

The embattled former Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom in Delta State, Chief Ayirimi Emami, has denounced his disrobing by the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III as of “no consequence or effect”.

Emami said he neither recognises the monarch as the Olu nor his Tuesday’s pronouncement made at the Aghofen (Palace) in Warri metropolis.

According to him, “as far as I am concerned we are in court and I do not recognise him as the Olu of Warri. He was neither properly selected nor crowned, so he cannot parade himself as the Olu of Warri.

“To me, he remains Prince Tsola Emiko and not the Olu of Warri. His action (stripping him of the title) shows that he was not properly crowned because if he was he would know the implication of what he is doing. The throne of the Olu of Warri cannot be for sale to the highest bidder and we will see to that.”

He vowed that the next frontline of his battle with the popular monarch would be to stop him from parading as the Olu of Warri

Ogiame Atuwatse III on Tuesday invited descendants of the Ologbotsere family to the palace where the decision to stripe Emami of his title as a traditional titleholder of the kingdom was announced.

But Emami said his family members and supporters remain calm, stating that the battle has only shifted to a higher gear.

It will be recalled that the latest development is the culmination of a long seething war between the young monarch and Emami, whose disqualification of the monarch from the contest to pick the 21st Olu in April led to an uproar in the kingdom.

The battle degenerated further when the young chief spurned an invitation from the palace to chiefs and other traditional title holders of the kingdom to revalidate their titles by paying homage to the new monarch.

(The Nation)