The groundbreaking ceremony for the proposed Okpe Kingdom Palace Annex in Sapele has reignited long-simmering disputes over land ownership, traditional authority and political influence in the oil-rich Delta town, raising fresh concerns over peace amid sharp exchanges between Urhobo and Itsekiri interests.
On January 24, the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom, Major General Felix Mujakperuo (Rtd), Orhue I, performed the ceremony, describing the project as historic.
“It gives me great pleasure to witness a historical milestone as I performed the groundbreaking of my new Palace Annex in Sapele township that will serve as a centre for the promotion of our cultural heritage for generations to come,” the monarch said.
The move drew swift commendation from the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) Worldwide, which hailed the annex as “bold, visionary and statesmanlike,” insisting it was “a strategic, lawful and dignified response” to territorial disputes.
“The Palace Annex unmistakably asserts that Okpe land remains Okpe land to be protected, administered and preserved,” the UPU declared.
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Political endorsement followed, with Senator Ede Dafinone, who represents Delta Central Senatorial District, describing the project as “a reaffirmation of identity, legitimacy and cultural heritage.”
He said it underscored “the overlordship of the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom as the only recognised traditional ruler in Sapele.”
However, the development attracted a sharp Itsekiri rebuttal contained in a public notice titled: ‘Caveat Emptor’, by the Alema of Warri Kingdom, Chief Emmanuel Oritsejolomi Uduaghan, where he warned that the action could inflame communal tension.
“Sapele is not the exclusive town of the Okpe people… Sapele from time immemorial belongs to the Itsekiri people/nation,” he said, citing colonial records and court judgments.
“The Orodje of Okpe should restrict his authority and confine his activities to the said 510 acres,” he warned, describing any expansion beyond that as “an invitation to communal crisis.”
The controversy is layered with intrigue as last year, the Olu of Warri, His Majesty Atuwatse III, paid a widely noted visit to the Palace of the Orodje of Okpe, at Orerokpe, a gesture interpreted as conciliatory amid disputes over the hosting of Itsekiri Day in Sapele and the installation of the Olara-Aja, the oldest man in Itsekiri community.
That visit, hailed by observers as statesmanlike, now contrasts sharply with the renewed tension.
Within Itsekiri ranks, moderation has also emerged. Sir Amorighoye Mene, Secretary of the Itsekiri Leaders of Thought (ILoT), said Sapele’s land question is neither ethnic nor uniform.
“On land ownership in Sapele, it has been clearly stated by the Supreme Court that it is on family basis,” he said, adding, “the Okpe families that own land in Sapele are under the Orodje of Okpe. The Itsekiri families that own land in Sapele are under the Olu of Warri.”
He said: “If the Orodje of Okpe wants to open a sub-palace in Sapele, it is within his rights… but he can only do so in the areas owned by Okpe families.”
A contrasting Urhobo position was articulated by a social commentator, Ejiro Imuere, who rejected the “misleading propaganda.”
“There is one misleading propaganda by the Itsekiri who are claiming that Okpe only owns 510 acres of land… this is wrong,” he said, insisting that court records affirmed wider Okpe ownership.
“The judgment was very clear… the Itsekiri did not dispute the Okpe ownership of the other adjoining land,” Imuere stated, concluding that “the Itsekiri should be cautioned… and desist from any provocative actions that may threaten the peace and stability of Sapele.”