The Nsirim Royal Family of Rumueme Kingdom in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area has officially dismissed reports of the purported proclamation and coronation of Dr. Larry Azunda Nsirim as the new Nyenwe-Eli and Paramount Ruler of the kingdom. In a strongly worded statement released on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, the royal house described the alleged coronation as an “abomination” and a “sacrilegious” violation of the kingdom’s centuries-old traditional succession rites.
The family’s reaction follows claims that the Rumueme Council of Chiefs had carried out a secret ceremony to install a new monarch to fill the stool of the late patriarch, His Royal Majesty, Omunakwe Nyeche Nsirim (MON). The Nsirim Royal Family has completely dissociated itself from the act, which it labeled a “sham” and “nefarious.” They accused the Chairman of the Rumueme Kingdom Council of Traditional Rulers, Chief Larry Nyeche, of orchestrating a politically motivated “theatrical display” designed to spark a needless succession crisis.
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According to the statement, the Nyenwe-Eli stool is a sacred inheritance that must be occupied through a strictly defined traditional process, not through political appointments or secret arrangements. The family warned that bypassing these customary norms threatens the peace and stability of the modern Rumueme Kingdom. They stressed that the legacy of their late father, a founding figure of the community, must not be “polluted” by the personal ambitions of “misguided elements.”
The royal family further clarified its political standing, reaffirming a strong bond with the immediate past governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Ezenwo Wike. However, they cautioned against dragging the Nsirim name into “manufactured political conflicts,” insisting that the traditional institution must remain independent of external manipulation. The family declared that it would not “sell its birthright” for any temporary political gain.
In a direct appeal to the state government, the family called on the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, and the Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs to withhold any form of official recognition from Dr. Larry Azunda Nsirim. They warned that recognizing a monarch who emerged through a disputed and non-traditional process could trigger a serious security crisis within the kingdom. The statement, signed by Crown Prince Nyeche Henry Omunakwe Nsirim and other senior family heads, urged the people of Rumueme to remain calm while the family pursues the restoration of due process.
As Port Harcourt watches the developing situation in one of its most prominent traditional seats, the Nsirim family has vowed to protect the sanctity of the Apiti stool, insisting that the “revered throne of their ancestors” remains vacant until a legitimate, tradition-compliant successor is chosen.
