Niger State governor congratulates Elem Kalabari monarch, promises to honour invitation as preparations intensify for December 19 coronation; journey to the throne reflects a remarkable passage through activism, sacrifice and traditional service
By: Al Humphrey Onyanabo
As preparations intensify for SE DIYE, the landmark final coronation rites of the Amanyanabo of The Source, Elem Kalabari, Torusarama Piri the monarch is extending his hand of fellowship across Nigeria, bringing old friendships, enduring relationships and the prospect of national unity into the heart of the forthcoming royal celebration.
Da Amakiri Tubo, Alhaji Mujahid Abubakr Dokubo-Asari, Dabaye Amakiri 1, Amakiri Ekpeke, Sebromabo. The Amanyanabo of The Chiefdom and Principalities of The Source, Elem Kalabari, Torusarama Piri, has met with the Governor of Niger State, His Excellency Mohammed Umaru Bago, to extend a personal invitation to attend SE DIYE, scheduled for Saturday, December 19, 2026, at King Amachree Memorial Hall, Buguma, Rivers State.
The meeting brought together two old friends whose relationship is founded on mutual respect and personal regard. During the engagement, Governor Bago congratulated the monarch on his forthcoming final coronation rites and promised to honour the invitation by joining the people of Elem Kalabari for the historic occasion.
The governor’s response adds to the growing anticipation surrounding SE DIYE, which is being positioned as a gathering of traditional rulers, political leaders, public officials, cultural figures and distinguished Nigerians from across the country.
For Da Amakiri Tubo, the outreach is about more than assembling dignitaries for a royal ceremony. It reflects his desire to make SE DIYE an inclusive celebration of friendship, cultural identity, shared history and the relationships that connect Nigerians across ethnic, religious and geographical boundaries.
A KING WHOSE JOURNEY REFLECTS THE MANY LAYERS OF NIGERIAN PUBLIC LIFE
The story of Da Amakiri Tubo is inseparable from the turbulent political and social history of the Niger Delta.
He is a prominent Niger Delta figure whose public life has traversed religion, activism, political agitation, imprisonment and, ultimately, traditional leadership. His name has remained closely associated with the region’s struggles over resource control, political representation, identity and the relationship between the Niger Delta and the Nigerian state.
His journey to the throne represents a significant transition in a life shaped by public controversy, political conviction and service to his people. The emergence of a figure long associated with activism into one of the highest traditional positions within the Kalabari cultural institution places his reign at the intersection of contemporary political history and inherited tradition.
For his supporters, this transition represents a return to the ancestral foundations of the people he has long identified with. It also presents an opportunity to redirect the influence accumulated over decades of public engagement towards cultural preservation, traditional governance and the responsibilities of leadership.
The significance of his forthcoming final coronation rites lies in this convergence of personal history and collective heritage. SE DIYE will mark not merely another stage in a traditional process, but a defining moment in the public and cultural journey of a man whose life has taken him through several important chapters of Nigeria’s national story.
THE ROAD TO THE THRONE: SERVICE, SACRIFICE AND TRADITION
Da Amakiri Tubo’s emergence as Amanyanabo followed a sequence of traditional appointments, selections and official recognition.
On November 1, 2023, he was made Head of the Edi Abali Group of Houses. Eight days later, on November 9, 2023, he performed SE DIYE as Alabo Edi Abali, marking an important milestone in his progression within the Kalabari traditional institution.
Edi Abali is one of the prominent war canoe houses in Kalabari history. Its heritage is associated with Alabo Inabioboari Braide, remembered in Kalabari historical accounts as the first Prime Minister of the Kalabari state. The house occupies an important place in the traditional political and cultural history of the kingdom.
On May 23, 2024, the King Abbi Royal House chose Da Amakiri Tubo as Amanyanabo of Elem Kalabari. On the same date, the Kalabari Se Kobiri also chose him as Amakiri Ekpeke, a designation understood as the shield and defender of the Kalabari people.
These developments marked a decisive stage in his journey towards the traditional leadership of The Source.
The Rivers State Government subsequently recognised his position on October 8, 2024. On December 31, 2024, Governor Siminalayi Fubara presented him with the Staff of Office, providing formal state recognition of his traditional authority.
His adoption of the title Dabaye Amakiri I further connected his reign to the historical traditions and cultural identity of the Kalabari people.
The sequence of events illustrates the different stages through which his traditional position developed, from leadership of a prominent house to selection by the relevant traditional institutions and subsequent government recognition.
His forthcoming SE DIYE ceremony is therefore being presented as the culmination of a journey through traditional responsibilities and royal rites, reaffirming his place within the ancestral institution of The Source, Elem Kalabari, Torusarama Piri.
A GROWING LIST OF DISTINGUISHED GUESTS
The list of dignitaries expected or invited to attend SE DIYE continues to attract national attention.
Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and his wife, Dame Patience Jonathan, are among the distinguished personalities whose attendance is being anticipated. Chief Barr. Nyesom Wike, F.C.T. Minister, Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State and his wife are also among the prominent figures associated with the forthcoming celebration.
Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, who formally presented Da Amakiri Tubo with his Staff of Office, is the chief host for the occasion.
The anticipated gathering is expected to bring together traditional rulers, serving and former public officeholders, political leaders, cultural custodians and other distinguished guests whose presence would reflect the wider significance being attached to the ceremony.
As invitations continue to reach prominent Nigerians, the event is taking shape as an opportunity to bring together people from different walks of life in celebration of Elem Kalabari’s traditional heritage.
SE DIYE holds on Saturday, December 19, 2026, at King Amachree Memorial Hall, Buguma, Rivers State.
