GODWIN SASI D. OGOLO SAMPSON G. OGOLO DOMINIC A.J. OGOLO GARYNE ISIGOMIE OGOLO ADA GOGO M.K. OGOLO JOHNSON S.A. OGOLO GORDON I. OGOLO GRAHAN B. OGOLO SOLOMON N.R. OGOLO LEVI BROWN OGOLO JERRY HENRY UBANI LOVEDAY IKECHI UBANI LOVEDAYM.D. OGOLO HARRYD.D. WELLINGTON WELLINGTON OGOLO SALATHEL D.J. OGOLO V. CHIEF JOSEPH TUMINI OGOLO SUNDAYTIMOTHY OGOLO AARON S. OGOLO BENEDICT W.A. OGOLO ISIAH IKE OGOLO SOWARI U. OGOLO (FOR THEMSELVES AND ON BEHALF OF OGOLO MAIN HOUSE OPOBO)

EDOZIE, JSC (Delivering the Lead Judgment): This appeal emanating from the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt delivered on 15th April, 1997 arose from a chieftaincy dispute relating to the stool of Opobo Main House or Main Ogolo House of Opobo Town in Opobo Nkoro Local Government Area of Rivers State. Both parties are members of the Diepiri section of Opobo town within the ancient conglomerate of Opobo Kingdom. The Diepiri section is made up of six War Canoe Houses the head of which is the Ogolo Main House.

By tradition from time immemorial the chief of Ogolo Main House is the traditional Head of the Diepiri section. With the demise in 1981 of the then incumbent Chief of Ogolo Main House, Chief Raymond D. Ogolo, the chieftaincy stool became vacant and it was in the process of the selection and installation of a successor that dispute erupted. The plaintiffs’/respondents’ case is that the 1st plaintiff/respondent was in accordance with native law and custom validly and dul…