CHIEF MOMOH DANESI & ORS. V. CHIEF MUSA YERIMA & ORS.

MUNTAKA-COOMASSIE, J.C.A. (Delivering the Leading Judgment): This is a chieftaincy appeal against the decision of the High Court of Justice, Benin dated 29th day of June, 1999, in which the Plaintiffs' case in suit No. B/226/98 was partly dismissed, and Defendants' claims in suit No. B/227/98 were granted.

After the demise of I.M.J. Umaru in 1997, as the Aido-nogie of South Ibie in Etsako West Local Government of Edo State, the secretary to the Local Government wrote to the Okhokho ruling House to produce a candidate to fill the vacant stool.

There is only one ruling house in SOUTH IBIE i.e. Okhokho Ruling House which has two branches i. e. OGHIATOR and DANESI. By tradition, AIDONOGIE, i.e clan head of South Ibie is rotated between the two Branches of the Okhokho ruling House. The Late Aidonogie i.e. I.M.J Umaru, the Danesi branch of Okhokho Ruling House forwarded the name of the 4th Plaintiff, Alhaji Aliyu Kelvin Danesi to the Etsako West Traditional Counsel, through the Secretary of…