A prominent Urhobo elder and public affairs advocate, Olorogun Zik Gbemre, has faulted Chief Emuoboh Gbagi’s claim to the position of first son of the late businessman, lawyer, and former Minister of State for Education, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi.
In a strongly worded statement dated August 14, 2025, Gbemre, who described himself as a confidant of the late Gbagi, said Emuoboh’s claim was “unfounded and culturally unacceptable,” stressing that the deceased had older male children ahead of him in the family hierarchy.
“George Gbagi is the eldest son of Kenneth Gbagi. Michael Gbagi is the second eldest. Emuoboh is the third. There is no dispute about this. Seniority in a family is not a matter of personal ambition—it is a matter of tradition,” Gbemre stated.
He urged Chief Faith Gbagi and Barrister Eric Gbagi—elder brothers of the late Kenneth Gbagi—to protect the unity, truth, and cultural integrity of the family in the wake of their brother’s passing.
According to Gbemre, the late Gbagi fathered children from five different women, commonly referred to as the “five gates,” all of whom are entitled to equal inheritance rights.
However, he emphasized that birth order plays a critical role in matters of family leadership, estate distribution, and cultural rites in Urhobo tradition, particularly in determining the “Okpako r’emo” (eldest son).
“In Urhoboland, the first son carries ancestral responsibility. You cannot just assume that role. It is determined by birth, not by influence or self-promotion,” he declared.
Gbemre also raised concerns over the alleged return of Evelyn, a former wife of the late Gbagi, to his Oginibo residence after his death.
He argued that such an act violated Urhobo customs, given that she had been separated from the deceased for years and was said to have married another man abroad.
“It is a taboo in Ughievwen and Urhobo tradition for a woman who left her husband for many years—and possibly remarried—to return to his home after his death,” Gbemre said, adding that she should be resettled elsewhere by her children and not within the Gbagi ancestral compound.
He further clarified that the only woman the late politician formally acknowledged during his lifetime was Justice Sybil Gbagi, whom he described as the sole surviving legal spouse.
According to him, Justice Sybil is entitled to remain in her husband’s home for life without displacement.
“She is the surviving wife of Kenneth Gbagi. Tradition accords her that place and respect. The family must protect her position and dignity,” he stated.
Gbemre called on family elders to speak the “blunt truth” to Emuoboh Gbagi, warning that allowing distortions of cultural values could set a dangerous precedent.
“If the elders shy away from the truth, what example are they setting for the youths?” he queried. “Urhobo tradition is not for sale. The truth must be told no matter who is involved.”
