Justice Peter Akhihiero, presiding in the Edo State High Court in Benin, has consented to Oba Ewuare II’s plea to involve the Benin Traditional Council as a respondent in a lawsuit involving him and the ousted Enigies (Dukes) in the Benin realm.
According to a report from NewsNow, the judge endorsed the Benin king’s request during the recent hearing of the lawsuit on Thursday.
The deposed Enigies challenging the Oba of Benin in court include Professor Gregory Akenzua of Evbuobanosa and Chief Edomwonyi Ogiegbaen of Egbaen Siluko Dukedoms in the Benin Kingdom, among others.
These deposed Enigies are contesting their suspension by the Oba of Benin at the Edo State High Court.
Within the lawsuit, the plaintiffs argued that solely the state governor holds the authority to dismiss them from their roles.
In his decision, Justice Peter Akhihiero granted the Oba of Benin’s wish to list the Benin Traditional Council as the 3rd respondent in the case, labeled as B/250os/2023, with Oba Ewuare II and the Edo State Government identified as the 1st and 2nd respondents, respectively.
Akhihiero, however, advised the respondents’ legal representation not to be concerned about the timing, emphasizing that “The race is not for the swift, or the battle for the strong”.
“If they deemed it essential to bring in the Traditional Council, I do not perceive this as an issue, given that you have already summoned the Oba to court.
“I see no grounds to exclude any party. Let them enter and submit their documents,” he further stated.
Nonetheless, he set a new hearing date for the case on July 15, 2024.