(A Publication of the Department of History University of Cape Coast, Ghana, 2013) Alo, Lawrence
Chieftaincy dispute was one of the major challenges faced by the
Colonial administration in Nigeria. This subject has attracted much
attention from scholars, but the aspect of legal regulation of chieftaincy
matters and disputes have been neglected. This study, therefore, examines
the reasons and the context within which it became necessary to promulgate
laws and ordinances that were used to regulate chieftaincy appointment,
selection, deposition and resolution of disputes. It further examines the
causes of persistent chieftaincy disputes, assesses the extent to which the
various ordinances, laws and the courts were able to resolve the problem of
contestations with a view to determining it achievement;The study has
established that law is a veritable instrument of administration, in both
colonial and post colonial period. Colonial law, to a great extent, provided
the desired social order that the colonial administration required for the
exploitation of the economy.