In what can be described as a reconciliatory move, the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwaste III, met with the embattled Ologbotsere of the kingdom, Chief Ayirimi Emami, for four hours on Friday.
The meeting, which was held behind closed doors came 20 months after the monarch’s coronation in August 2021.
Recall that the emergence of the monarch as king-designate in March 2021, threw the kingdom apart over disagreements over the selection process.
The Nation gathered that selected Itsekiri chiefs, as well as sons and daughters, were privy to the meeting at the palace in Warri, Delta state.
Though there was no official statement from the palace afterwards, it was gathered that the meeting was geared toward establishing unity and peace in the kingdom.
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Reports of an invitation by the traditional ruler to Chief Emami surfaced on social media two weeks ago. This was after he (the king) performed a traditional rite at Ogbowuru Hall in Ode-Itsekiri, the ancestral home of the Itsekiri people.
However, Emami appeared to be away from the kingdom and could not immediately respond. According to reports, he returned to the office yesterday at 4 pm.
It should also be recalled that the Oni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, stormed the palatial residence of the Ologbotsere in Ubeji-Warri, in late January, shortly after meeting with the Warri monarch.
His visit was widely perceived as a move towards ending the one-year rift that resulted from the succession of the 20th Olu, Ogiame Ikenwoli.
The Iyatsere of Warri, Chief Johnson Atseruleghe, and the Uwangue of Warri, Chief Gabriel Awala, were among the palace chieftains who attended Friday’s meeting.
Other prominent Itsekiris that witnessed the meeting were the immediate past Governor of Delta state, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan and former President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN) and Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, (PFN), Ayodele Oritsejafor.
A video viewed on Facebook saw a large crowd cheering Chief Emami who had just stepped out of the over four-hour meeting, dressed in conventional men’s native attire (trousers and a long sleeve top). His hand beads were also spotted.
Appreciating the people for their support, he disclosed that a more inclusive meeting between the throne and Ologbotsere descendants is scheduled for Sunday, April 16.
It is envisaged that the development will end the succession crisis and the suits that emerged afterwards.
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