BREAKING: Finally, Olu Of Warri, Chief Ayiri Meet Nearly Two Years After Coronation

Paramount King of Warri Kingdom, the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, on Friday, met with popular Itsekiri illustrious son, Chief Ayiri Emami nearly two years after his coronation as King.

BIGPEN NIGERIA (www.bigpenngr.com) understands that Chief Emami and the revered King met behind closed doors at Aghofen (palace) with some selected prominent Itsekiri sons and daughters in attendance.

The Olu of Warri and Emami, the Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom have not set eyes on each other after the former was crowned the 21st Olu of Warri on Saturday 21 August 2021 at Ode-Itsekiri succeeding his uncle, Ogiame Ikenwoli, the 20th Olu of Warri.

It was gathered that the monarch and Emami met at the palace for the first time since he became 21st Olu.

Although no official statement from the palace about the meeting which was wrapped, sources disclosed that ‘it was a parley’ tailored to forge unity in the kingdom.

BIGPEN NIGERIA had last week reported that the respected monarch had invited Chief Emami to his palace after performing a traditional rite at Ogbowuru hall in Ode -Itsekiri, the ancestral home of Itsekiri people.

Confirming the development, Chief Emami, who was outside Warri Kingdom in preparation for a foreign trip and could not immediately honour the respected King’s invite, on Friday, stormed the palace in accompany of a prominent chieftain of the palace.

Chief Emami, who was said to have arrived Warri today, Friday April 14 from his foreign trip, was in company of the Akulagba of Warri Kingdom, Chief Omamuli when he arrived the palace around 4:pm.

Dependable sources said that Emami later went into a closed door meeting with the first class monarch for over four hours – 4pm to 8:20pm, with a large crowd of people who got wind of the meeting waiting patiently for the possible positive outcome.

The source said that the meeting was geared towards cementing the peace building processes that have started between the Ologbotsere and the throne.

The peace parley was at the instance of the Olu of Warri who had of recent being at the forefront of fostering peace and unity among Itsekiri sons and daughters including communities under his kingdom.

Among prominent Warri Kingdom Chiefs present at the palace when Chief Emami met with the Olu, was the Iyatsere of Warri, Chief Johnson Atseruleghe, the Uwangue of Warri, Chief Gabriel Awala, among others.

Other notable Itsekiris who witnessed the meeting were the immediate past Governor of Delta state, Dr. Emmanuel Ewetan Uduaghan, former President of Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN) and Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, (PFN), Papa Ayodele Joseph Oritsejafor and former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Daniel Reyenieju.

Arising from the meeting around 8:20pm, Chief Emami, was greeted with a large crowd of people who had stormed the palace on hearing of the meeting.

Chief Ayiri, a popular business man and chieftain of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), acknowledging cheers from the people, thanked them for the solidarity at the palace gate.

Though he didn’t disclosed the reason for the meeting and outcome, he said that the Olu of Warri, has extended invitation to members of the respected Ologbotsere Descendant of which he’s head, to meet at the Aghofen (Palace) this Sunday, April 16 for the necessary traditional jaw-jaw.

According to one source, “with the development, there is every tendency that the process of consolidating the unity of Itsekiri Nation which culminated with the peace parley between Chief Ayiri and the monarch today, in the aftermath of the succession crisis, would lead to an end in the court cases that followed”.