The selection of former Senator Francis Alimikhena as the Okumagbe of Wanno has ignited considerable controversy, escalating into a dispute over the very legitimacy of the selection process.
At the core of this contention are deeply conflicting directives, compounded by accusations of flagrant procedural irregularities that threaten the sanctity of the traditional succession.
Etsako East Local Government had initially affirmed the Agiode Ruling House’s right to nominate the next Okumagbe, mandating that the selection conclude by January 30-31, 2026.
However, this timeline was upended by a subsequent local government announcement indefinitely suspending the process. This abrupt reversal fueled confusion and provoked questions regarding the motivations behind this sudden change, of course.
Dr. Francis Omoh, a rival claimant to the Okumagbe throne, has vehemently challenged Senator Alimikhena’s purported selection, underscoring the announced postponement. “No election occurred,” Omoh insisted, dismissing the gathering at Igiode as a mere social event, utterly devoid of electoral legitimacy.
Further reinforcing his position, Dr. Omoh issued a disclaimer, stating unequivocally that, “For the avoidance of doubt, no election to fill the vacant Okumagbe stool has taken place. The authority empowered to announce the date of the election, supervise and monitor the process, and transmit the outcome to the State Government had unequivocally announced the postponement of the exercise. Any gathering that may have occurred in Igiode on the said date could only have been a social event and certainly not an election for the Okumagbe of Wanno.”
Recall that the Etsako East local government had issued a statement postponing the process to fill the vacant Okumagbe stool, just before the earlier deadline expired.
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According to the letter signed by
Comr. Amb. Abass Yunusah Egbezemogie, Chief Press Secretary Etsako East Local Government, Council
dated_Friday, 30 January, 2026, said
“The Etsako East Local Government Council has announced the postponement of the process to fill the vacant stool of the Okumagbe of Uwanno Kingdom,
” The traditional selection process—expected to be conducted in accordance with the relevant laws of succession and earlier scheduled for January 31, 2026—has been suspended.
The council stated that the exercise will no longer take place as planned and will remain on hold until further notice.”
