Group heads to court to challenge legitimacy of Togbui Sri III

A group has filed a lawsuit to challenge the legitimacy of the Awomefia of the Anlo State, Togbui Sri III as chief of the Anlo State.

Members of the group, who are indigenes of Anlo State, are also challenging the eligibility of the Awomefia to contest an election to represent the Volta Regional House of Chiefs at the national level.

Amega Andrew Atsu Kokor, Amega Albert Kwaku Kume and Amega Wisdom Atiasa Kukubor, who belong to the group insist that Togbui Sri III is not the right person to be on the throne hence does not have the right to present himself for election into the National House of Chiefs.

Togbe Sri III is part of 11 chiefs vying for five slots to represent the Region as members of the National House of Chiefs.

The group argues that Togbui Sri III, known in private life as COP Patrick Agbogba, is not an indigene of the Anlo land, and also not a member of the family that should lead the Anlo State as a chief.

The suit among other things is seeking to bar Togbui Sri from participating in the upcoming elections.

They also insist that a number of cases are pending in court challenging the eligibility of Togbui Sri hence it will be wrong to allow him to contest for the National House of Chiefs position.

They are thus seeking “a declaration that [Togbui Sri III] is unfit to be made President of the Volta Region House of Chiefs since he is facing several contempt of court charges.”

They also want an order of perpetual injunction to restrain the Volta Regional House of Chiefs from allowing Togbe Sri from contesting “any election for the purpose of becoming President or executive position in the Volta Regional House of Chiefs as he is not the Awomefia of the Anlo State.”

Lawyer for the plaintiffs, Captain Rtd. Nkrabeah Effah Dartey, told Citi FM that the Volta Regional House of Chiefs and Togbui Sri III will both be acting in contempt should the chief be allowed to participate in the pending elections.

“From 1998 till date, the stool has not been occupied because of problems. One person calling himself Patrick Agbogba a former Commissioner of Police is pretending to be the new Awomefia but unfortunately, he doesn’t come from the Royal Ajovia clan.

“His mother is from Akatsi and his father is from Hohoe, and so he is not an indigene from Anloga. According to my clients, he is not qualified to be the Awomefia, so the royals; three clans selected somebody who they have enstooled to be the Awomefia,” he said.