Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has formally presented the Certificate of Recognition and Staff of Office to the new Amanyanabo of Opobo Kingdom, His Majesty King Charles Douglas Mac-Pepple Jaja, Jeki VI, in a ceremony at Government House, Port Harcourt, that formally concluded a succession process which the governor said had been mired in litigation for more than 27 years.
The presentation, held on Friday, October 2, 2026, capped a transition that began with the death of the late monarch, King Douglas Dandeson Jaja, Jeki V, and proceeded through a selection process and coronation on September 26, 2026. Fubara, who hails from Opobo, said his administration was proud to have played a role in bringing the process to completion, describing the government's recognition of the new monarch as the final step in a journey that had previously been defined by legal disputes and contested claims to the throne. He disclosed that the late king's stool had been enmeshed in a legal battle lasting over 27 years, and that it took the wisdom and deliberate intervention of his administration to manage the selection process and prevent another round of court cases. "History will remember this administration for peacefully laying to rest the late King and facilitating the emergence of a new monarch without litigation," Fubara said.
The governor apologised for his absence at the coronation ceremony, explaining that it was due to a call to higher national service. He said he was part of the federal delegation to the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York while the coronation was being held, and that his absence should not be interpreted as a lack of commitment to the kingdom. He dismissed insinuations by those he described as mischief makers who tried to politicise his non-attendance. "Our presence was not just in that process alone. Every logistics that were required, there is nobody that can say he is the one that did it. We did it," he said. "So, for those people who like using everything for politics, my absence was not an intentional thing; it was a call to service. So the fact that I was unable to make it doesn't mean that I do not value, appreciate or support the process."
Addressing the new monarch directly, Fubara urged him to promote peace, unity and inclusiveness in the kingdom, and to extend a hand of fellowship to those who lost out in the selection process. "See them not as victims but as comrades who must be carried along for the kingdom to move forward," he said. He said the true test of kingship was not merely the attainment of the throne but the management of success and the ability to use the position to advance the welfare of the people. He prayed that the new reign would usher in greater development in education, healthcare and small businesses, which he described as sustainable antidotes to growing youth criminality. "If we invest in education, healthcare and support small businesses, we will give our young people alternatives to crime," he said.
The governor described Opobo as one of the most peaceful local government areas in Rivers State and charged the new king to maintain zero tolerance for criminality. "Be very intentional and decisive when it comes to issues of protecting the kingdom. Don't compromise," Fubara said, warning the monarch against allowing family or kinship ties to weaken security enforcement. He assured the monarch of the continuous support of his administration both in and out of office, and charged the Alapu Council, the council of chiefs and titled citizens to redirect their purpose from ceremonial activities to initiating tangible development projects that would be visible in the kingdom within the next year. "It is not enough to wear titles and attend ceremonies. The people must see the impact of your leadership in their lives," he said.
In his acceptance speech, the newly installed Amanyanabo of Opobo Kingdom, King Charles Douglas Mac-Pepple Jaja, Jeki VI, pledged to build the kingdom on the pillars of service, inclusion and vision, in honour of the legacy of the great King Jaja, who founded the kingdom about 156 years ago through trade and diplomacy. He described the recognition as a sacred trust from the government and people of Rivers State and promised to discharge his responsibilities with justice, peace and dignity. He assured Governor Fubara and the people of Rivers State that under his reign, Opobo Kingdom would remain a dependable partner for peace, development and unity. He also paid tribute to the courage and enterprise of King Jaja of Opobo, the legendary nineteenth-century monarch who was exiled by the British in 1887 for resisting colonial control of the palm oil trade, and urged his people to uphold the values of unity and dignity that defined his ancestor's reign.
The Opobo Kingdom occupies a unique place in Nigerian history. Founded by King Jaja in 1870 after he broke away from Bonny, the kingdom became a major commercial power in the Niger Delta, controlling the palm oil trade and maintaining diplomatic relations with European merchants on its own terms. King Jaja's resistance to British commercial and political domination led to his arrest and exile, and he died in 1891 while attempting to return home. His legacy has remained a source of pride and identity for the people of Opobo, and the succession crisis that followed the death of King Douglas Jaja in 1980 became one of the longest-running chieftaincy disputes in Rivers State. The legal battle over the stool lasted for more than two decades, with rival claimants from different royal houses contesting the right to ascend the throne. The resolution of the dispute and the coronation of King Jeki VI in September 2026 marked the end of a prolonged period of uncertainty that had divided the kingdom and hindered its development.
For the people of Opobo, the presentation of the certificate and staff of office represents the formal closure of a chapter that had dragged on for generations. The recognition of King Jeki VI as a first-class traditional ruler in Rivers State affirms his status and provides the legal and institutional foundation for his reign. For Governor Fubara, the successful resolution of the succession crisis is both a personal achievement, given his roots in Opobo, and a political statement about his administration's capacity to manage sensitive traditional matters without recourse to litigation. For the traditional institution in Rivers State, the event underscores the continued relevance of royal stools as centres of community identity and mobilisation, even as the state government pursues its broader agenda of development and security. As the new Amanyanabo settles into his reign, the challenge will be to translate the goodwill and expectations that accompanied his coronation into tangible improvements in the lives of the people of Opobo Kingdom.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments