By Ozioruva Aliu

BENIN CITY – APPARENTLY reacting to the deluge of court cases involving several traditional rulers in Edo State, the Imah of Somorika, HRH Sule Idaiye yesterday advised against subjecting kingship issues to court processes arguing that it is desecrating the traditional institution.

He said issues affecting kingship are traditional issues decided by God and tradition so any conflict arising from them should also be resolved traditionally.

Idaiye stated this when he spoke at the coronation reception of HRH Oba Felix Ogbamadu Collins, the Ainogie 1 of North Uneme & Ogie of Uneme-Nekhua, Clan Head of North Uneme in Akoko-Edo local government area

According to him, “Why do people go to court on traditional matters? By the time you go to court on kingship issues, you are scattering the system.

“A king is not the one that makes himself king, it is God that does so and if God does not appoint you as a king, you cannot be king. You know how long it took because of a prolonged court case before we got here and it has affected the development here.

“If there is infrastructural development, if things are not working well and you are distracting the king with courts, the king will not be focused to draw the attention of the government to them so please leave traditional institutions out of court so that they can face their community issues.”

Speaking to journalists, Oba Collins said contrary to insinuations, there is no court issue hindering his coronation adding that the issues were resolved by the court since November 2025

He said “We are not in court, I won the case on the 11th of November 2025, he said he was going to go to appeal but he is not there so we are not in court.”

On his coronation, he said “I feel very happy, we have been waiting for this for more than 30 years. I thank God and they have appointed me to serve them. I believe with God all things are possible and a tree cannot make a forest, when you work with the people you will achieve results.”

In his keynote address, the former Deputy Majority Leader of the House of Representatives and the member representing Akoko-Edo in the House of Representatives, Hon Peter Akpatason urged the new traditional ruler to take the development of the community a priority and continue to mobilise the people to support political leaders for good services.