Akpomudje entered the deeper caucus of Body of Benchers in1999 and earned a life Bencher status in 2007.

With Albert Akpomudje, there had been a steady build-up. The climax on November 15, 2025, was founded on a rising momentum. His high success only got accentuated when the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) was coronated the 14th Ohworode of Olomu Kingdom last Saturday. His name now takes the very weighty prefix of His Royal Majesty (HRM). The pre-existing suffix cannot be discountenanced. It has existed for 24 years; since 2001. That suffix has recorded so many great deeds. Outside court victories, it has endured to earn other privileges. Akpomudje entered the deeper caucus of Body of Benchers in1999 and earned a life Bencher status in 2007. Even as king, he remains the Vice Chairman of the Body of Benchers and primed for the chairmanship sometime next year.

If his people specifically wanted a philosopher for a king, that quest has been met in Albert Akpomudje. By design or default, the Olomu people have struck gold. They cannot possibly ask for anything more. Olomu is one of the 24 Kingdoms in Urhobo land. For outsiders, Urhobo has ivie (Kings) and not ovie (king). That is why Urhobo is called a land of many kings (Orere r’ivie sa). It means no one king approximates the Urhobo nation which flows majestically from 24 dialectical streams into a socio-cultural mainstream that highlights a common identity. Every Kingdom tells its unique history even as some studies aspire to situate the Urhobo in a common ancestry and migration. In fact, one account traces the entire Urhobo nation to a common progenitor called Urhobo. They say the man, Urhobo, was part of the original Bantu tribe that evolved through centuries of migration, propagation and cross-culturalisation into the different ethnic nationalities in sub-Saharan Africa.

Every story of origin in Urhobo land is exciting. The Olomu people have their exciting story too. They trace their root to Benin. They must have picked their defining characteristics including the Olomu dialect of Urhobo, their kingship and their dominant red colour along their migratory paths. The story is that a certain Alaka is the grand progenitor of this sub-group. How the ‘Olomu’ name came into the history has not been clearly established. Maybe, it was a corruption of Alaka. Whichever, the three Ruling Houses in Olomu Kingdom today are traceable to the three sons of Alaka namely Eyanvwien, Uhurhie and Oghoro. Each takes turn to produce the king, Ohworode of Olomu. His Majesty, Albert Akpomudje is from the Eyanvwien Ruling House. His immediate predecessor, Macaulay Ovwagbedia was Uhurhie while the one before him, Richard Ogbon was from the Oghoro Ruling House.

There is something else that makes the Olomu kingship intriguingly unique. Succession to the Ohworode throne is well defined ahead of the appointed date by other chieftaincy roles. These are the Otota and Akpile/Akpohor chieftaincy roles. We know who is next in line to the throne from the holders of these two titles. In the hierarchy, Otota comes next to the Ohworode before the Akpile or Akpohor. This makes the Otota the heir-apparent to the throne. It is a ranked arrangement that leaves no space for randomness or free thinking. You cannot ascend the Ohworode stool except you were an Otota. And you cannot become an Otota except you had been an Akpile. It is also representational such that the three topmost positions of Ohworode, Otota and Akpile are rotated among the three ruling houses. In other words, different houses, at any point in time, must produce the Ohworode, Otota and Akpile.

To a large extent, this makes the selection process of the Ohworode of Olomu rancour free. It follows a most predictable process. It does not go to the man with the most strength to sway the contending variables in his favour. The throne is not for grabs or for the highest bidder. Whatever contention happens at the level of the ruling houses during the selection of the Otota and Akpile. Beyond that point, who becomes the king of the Olomu people in Urhobo land follows an irrevocable order as night follows day. This is saying that His Royal Majesty, Albert Akpomudje, did not come from nowhere to become Ohworode of Olomu. He did not grab the throne because he is a big lawyer. He was duly processed and even tutored for the great assignment. He had fruitfully and faithfully marked time as Akpile and Otota to learn the ropes before his ultimate ascendance.

However, the smooth transition in Olomu is not the story in every Kingdom in Urhobo land. There are kingdoms where the selection of the king is not so well patterned. It comes almost as an open contest where raw strength in all ramifications is the determinant. The attendant acrimony could recreate the process into a Darwinian contest where even access to oxygen would become a privilege to be negotiated. Outside the Ohwohwa enclave of Ogor, Agbarha-Otor, Ughelli and Orogun Kingdoms, where the throne passes from father to son, kingship in other parts is a veiled democracy which comes with all the gimmicks. It rotates among aboriginal stakeholders for whom the battle to prevail could become ‘a do or die’ affair.

Okpe is the largest kingdom in Urhobo land. It owns two of the eight local government areas in Delta Central Senatorial Zone. This zone is exclusively occupied by the Urhobo. The Orodje throne rotates among the four ruling quarters of Orhue, Esezi, Orhoro and Evwreke. The current Orodje, His Royal Majesty, Major General Felix Mujakperuo answers Orhue 1. This means he is from the Orhue ruling house. His predecessor was from the Orhoro ruling house. It is the same practice in Agbon Kingdom which is next to Okpe in size. It has six ruling quarters namely Okpara, Kokori, Eku, Orhoakpor, Ovu and Igun. In Agbon, the quarter that produces the Otota is next in line for the throne. But unlike in Olomu where the Otota automatically becomes the Ovie after the reigning Ovie, the Otota in Agbon is disqualified by reason of his position. He is only permitted by the Agbon chieftaincy law to preside over the selection of the king from his quarters. The current king of Agbon, His Royal Majesty, Michael Omeru, Ogurimerime, Ukori 1, is from Kokori. Next in line for the Agbon throne is the Eku ruling house which also means that the current Otota of Agbon Kingdom, Chief Moses Orogun, is from Eku.

Back to Akpomudje and Olomu Kingdom. If the good Lord had allowed things as arranged, Albert Akpomudje would have been far-fetched in the Olomu kingship calculations. He wasn’t originally primed for the throne. When Richard Ogbon ascended the throne in 1988, the composition did not capture Akpomudje as a key factor. The Otota was Macaulay Ovbagbedia and the Akpile was Milton Paul Ohwovoriole (SAN). And then death came and Ohwovoriole died on May 19, 202. This precipitated a rework of the kingship organogram. In doing this howver, the Eyanvwien Ruling House had remained intentional. For whatever reason, the House wanted a Senior Advocate from its folds to make it to the Owhorode throne. Fortunately, there was Akpomudje after Ohwovoriole and so death was defeated in its scheme to prevent the Eyanvwien Ruling House from placing a Senior Advocate of Nigeria on the throne in Olomu Kingdom.

As at this moment, nothing more is required on the part of the Eyanvwien Ruling House. It had eschewed distractions and stood firm to successfully deliver HRM Albert Akpomudje to Olomu to set a new template in the kingdom and by extension, Urhobo land. With him, the people can safely proclaim that a Daniel has come to judgment. The man is the first Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) to become a king in Urhobo land. He does not require introduction both at home and abroad. He knows the law and the law knows him. If he doesn’t know his people, he will not be where he is now. And so, he knows his people and his people know him too.
The towns in Olomu Kingdom to step forth for recognition for this great feat are, Oviri, Akperhe, Okpavuerhe and Ophori. They are far-sighted. They constitute the Eyanvwien Ruling House.

AKpomudje had been a wonderful home boy before becoming king. Apart from going to the University of Lagos and the Nigerian Law School, Lagos, to study law, almost everything about him has happened in Warri and its environs. I have just remembered that he was in the old Cross River State for his National Youth Service. His primary education was a kind of nomadic. And that was because his father was changing locations as a registrar with the customary court. Young Albert was at the L A Primary School, Otu-Jeremi, L A Primary School, Ewu and St. Paul & Peter Primary School, Ughelli. His secondary education was at Government College Ughelli and Edo College Benin-City.

After his call to bar on July 11, 1981, he had stayed put in Warri to prove the point that every location is fertile soil for the cultivation of law. He went through chambers including Dr. Mudiaga Odje’s Ewuewu Chambers to emerge a champion. He was with Ewuewu Chambers between 1985 and 1995. He had been professionally steeled for adventure. And when he entered with Albert Akpomudje & Co in 1995, the direction was clear. To conquer and dominate his own space.
His Royal Majesty, Albert Akpomudje (SAN) has been everything law practice and law administration in the Warri area. The Warri NBA can be called to the witness box to give conclusive evidence.

Akpomudje was 69 years on November 15, 2025. That was the day he was also coronated Owhorode of Olomu. It was a beautiful birthday gift from his people. A summary of his high points will run this way. Born on November 15, 1956. Called to Bar on July 11, 1981. Decorated Senior Advocate of Nigeria on September10, 2001. Made Life Bencher on March 29, 2007. And coronated king on November 15, 2025. All hail the Philosopher King!