Court of Appeal Reserves Status Quo In Okpella Kingship Crisis
The Court of Appeal, Benin Division, sitting in Benin City, Edo State, has granted an interim order staying the execution of the judgment of the Edo State High Court in
The Court of Appeal, Benin Division, has decided to maintain the current status quo in the long-standing dispute over the Okuokpellagbe of Okpella throne. This decision came on Tuesday after the court granted an interim order, following an application by the current Okuokpellagbe, HRM Michael Sado, who challenged the Edo State High Court's judgment.
The lower court had, in March 2026, nullified the appointment of HRM Mike Sado and ordered the reinstatement of Lukeman Akemokue to the throne. The appellate court found that the lower court's decision did not adhere to the principle of fair hearing. Consequently, the Edo State Attorney-General, Prof. Roland Otaru, filed an application for a stay of execution against the lower court's judgment.
At the subsequent hearing, Otaru stated that the application aimed to postpone the execution of the trial court's judgment until the appeal process could be concluded. No counter-affidavit was filed by the opposing party. After considering the arguments, the court granted an interim order to halt the execution of the lower court's judgment, pending the hearing and determination of the appeal.
The appellate court then adjourned the matter to a future date, which will be communicated to the involved parties.
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