From Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
Kingmakers of the Ichekpa OnuIfe dynasty in Omala Local Government Area of Kogi State have rejected the nomination of a candidate to the Bagana chieftaincy stool allegedly put forward by the Omala Local Government Chairman, Hon. Edibo Mark Ameh.The kingmakers described the action as an unconstitutional intrusion into traditional affairs and an affront to the established separation of powers governing chieftaincy matters in the state.In a statement issued on Tuesday in Lokoja and signed by Chief Noah Awodi, Omachi OnuIfe and spokesperson of the kingmakers, the group condemned what it called the unilateral constitution of a committee by the council chairman to handle the Bagana stool succession.
According to the statement, the move undermines the authority of the Omala Traditional Council and could reignite violence in the Bagana community if not urgently addressed.The kingmakers appealed to Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, to intervene by restraining the council chairman from further involvement and allowing the traditional council to carry out its constitutional role. They urged that the selection process be conducted strictly in line with the Chieftaincy Law of 2006, which empowers the traditional council to undertake preliminary investigations, screening, and nomination of qualified candidates from the ruling clans.
Chief Awodi accused the council chairman of populating the committee with local government officials and associates, allegedly to sideline the traditional council and impose a candidate whose ancestry is disputed by the custodian clans. He noted that the actions run contrary to Governor Ododo’s peace-building initiatives, which, according to him, have brought relative stability to the previously troubled Bagana community.
The kingmakers further disclosed that the Chairman of the Omala Traditional Council and paramount ruler of OnuIfe, His Royal Highness Boniface Musa, had formally petitioned the Ata Igala, His Royal Majesty Matthew Alaji Opaluwa Oguche Akpa.Copies of the petition were also sent to Governor Ododo and the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, calling for adherence to the provisions of the Chieftaincy Law of 2006 to avert a breakdown of law and order.“
The petition, referenced Oml/Tc/Adm/65/Vol. III/594 and dated December 19, 2025, urged the governor to intervene swiftly and allow the traditional council to conduct the screening and selection of a credible candidate for the Onu Bagana stool,” the statement said.Despite the petition, the kingmakers alleged that the council chairman proceeded to nominate a candidate unknown to the ruling clans, a move they described as provocative and illegal.
Chief Awodi also recalled that, following earlier crises in Bagana, Governor Ododo ordered the creation of a distinct stool for Bagana and directed contending chiefs—Onu Otutubatu and Onu Ihankpe—to return to their respective domains.He added that during the peak of the Bagana crisis, the Ata Igala had, on December 1, 2022, constituted a high-powered committee of inquiry comprising first-class chiefs from across the Igala Kingdom.
The committee, chaired by the Ejeh of Ibaji, Ajofe John Egwumi, with the Ejeh of Olamaboro as secretary, produced recommendations that, according to the kingmakers, have guided the governor’s interventions so far.“We are tired of war and violence,” the statement concluded. “We appeal to Governor Ododo to use his good offices to restore order by directing the council chairman to step aside and allow the traditional council to perform its lawful duties. We also urge the people of Bagana to remain calm and law-abiding.”
