Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, Ondo State, has put an end to a protracted eight-year legal dispute over the traditional stool of Apoiland, affirming the appointment of Professor Sunday Amuseghan, a retired Professor of English, as the Kalasuwe of Apoiland in Ese-Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State. The appellate court, in a unanimous decision delivered on Monday, July 27, 2026, dismissed the appeal filed by Prince Joseph Orire David, who had challenged the selection of the retired academic from Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko. The landmark judgment effectively validates the 2018 appointment of Amuseghan, a member of the Ebeli Idumu Ruling House, as the paramount ruler of the Ijaw people in the area.
The legal tussle began in 2018 when the Ondo State Government appointed Professor Amuseghan, a retired Professor of English at Adekunle Ajasin University and a member of the Ebeli Idumu Ruling House, as the Kalasuwe of Apoiland and Oba of the Ijaws. Dissatisfied with the appointment, Prince Joseph Orire David, through his counsel Omolegbon Odusola, instituted Suit No. HOK/10/2018 before the Ondo State High Court in Okitipupa. Prince David contended that he had earlier been selected by a majority of the nine kingmakers and was merely awaiting approval by the State Executive Council when Professor Amuseghan was appointed. He subsequently challenged the validity of the appointment, seeking to overturn the government's decision.
In response, counsel to Professor Amuseghan, Chief Sola Ebiseni, raised a preliminary objection challenging both the competence of the suit and the jurisdiction of the High Court. Ebiseni argued that Prince David lacked the legal standing (locus standi) to institute the action because he belonged to the same Ogele Idumu Ruling House as the immediate past monarch, Oba Samuel Adetimehin Oladiran. According to the defence, the registered declaration governing the chieftaincy recognises only two ruling houses—Ogele Idumu and Ebeli Idumu—and provides for the stool to rotate between them. Since the immediate past monarch came from the Ogele Idumu Ruling House, Ebiseni contended that only a candidate from the Ebeli Idumu Ruling House was eligible to contest the vacant stool.
The High Court upheld the preliminary objection and dismissed the suit, prompting Prince David to appeal the decision. At the Court of Appeal, a three-member panel led by Justice N.U. Okaisabor, with Justices S. Nwaka Gbagi and P.O. Affen concurring, delivered the lead judgment affirming the High Court's ruling. The appellate court held that both parties agreed the chieftaincy was governed by a registered declaration made pursuant to the Chiefs Law, which determines the eligibility of contestants to the stool. The court noted that since Prince David conceded that he hailed from the same Ogele Idumu Ruling House as the immediate past traditional ruler, he was ineligible to contest the stool under the agreed rotational arrangement. Consequently, the court ruled that he lacked the legal standing to institute the action.
In a further pronouncement, the Court of Appeal held that, as an aggrieved party, Prince David was bound by the provisions of Section 13 of the Chiefs Law, which he failed to comply with before approaching the court. The appellate court dismissed the appeal and affirmed the judgment of the High Court, effectively upholding Professor Amuseghan's appointment as the Kalasuwe of Apoiland. The Kalasuwe of Apoiland is a first-class traditional stool in Ondo State and is also recognised as the Oba of the Ijaw people in the state.
The judgment brings an end to a prolonged legal battle over the stool that had lingered for eight years, creating uncertainty and tension within the community. Professor Sunday Amuseghan, a retired Professor of English at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, had been appointed by the Ondo State Government in 2018 following his selection by the kingmakers. His journey to the throne, however, was met with a legal challenge from Prince David, who claimed he had been chosen by a majority of the nine kingmakers and was awaiting government approval. The High Court's dismissal of the suit and the subsequent affirmation by the Court of Appeal have now firmly established Amuseghan's legitimacy as the paramount ruler of Apoiland.
The Court of Appeal's decision is significant for several reasons. First, it reaffirms the importance of the registered chieftaincy declaration in determining eligibility to traditional stools, particularly the rotational arrangement between ruling houses. Second, it underscores the requirement for aggrieved parties to exhaust all administrative remedies under the Chiefs Law before approaching the court, as stipulated in Section 13 of the Chiefs Law. Third, it brings closure to a dispute that has divided the community for years, allowing the monarch to focus on his traditional duties and the development of Apoiland.
The judgment also highlights the growing trend of academics ascending to traditional thrones in Nigeria. Professor Amuseghan, who spent decades in the lecture halls of Adekunle Ajasin University, now presides as a first-class monarch over the Ijaw people in Ondo State. His appointment and the subsequent legal affirmation of his legitimacy reflect the evolving nature of traditional institutions in Nigeria, where education and professional achievement are increasingly valued alongside lineage and custom.
As of Wednesday, July 29, 2026, the Ondo State Government had not issued an official statement on the judgment, but the decision is expected to be welcomed by the people of Apoiland, who have awaited a resolution to the protracted dispute. The Kalasuwe of Apoiland, as a first-class traditional ruler, holds significant influence in the Ese-Odo Local Government Area and plays a crucial role in mediating conflicts, promoting development, and preserving the cultural heritage of the Ijaw people in Ondo State. With the legal battle now over, Professor Amuseghan can fully assume his duties as the paramount ruler of Apoiland, bringing stability and unity to a community that has endured years of uncertainty.
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