The Amanyanabo of Opobo Kingdom, His Majesty King Charles Douglas MacPepple Jaja, Jeki VI, has led a high-powered delegation of the Alapu Council of Opobo Kingdom on a royal visit to the palace of the Obi of Onitsha, His Majesty Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe.
The visit, which took place ahead of the coronation of Jeki VI scheduled for September 26, 2026, highlighted the longstanding historical, commercial and cultural ties between the two ancient riverine kingdoms.
Receiving the Opobo monarch, the Obi of Onitsha welcomed Jeki VI and his delegation, recalling the historic relationship between Onitsha and Opobo and the connections established through trade, migration and interaction along the Niger and its adjoining waterways.
The Obi also paid tribute to the late Amanyanabo of Opobo, His Majesty King Dandeson Douglas Jaja, Jeki V, whom he described as a friend, brother and colleague. He commended the people of Opobo for the peaceful transition following the late monarch’s passing and congratulated Jeki VI on his emergence as the new Amanyanabo.
Of particular significance was the Obi’s indication that he intends to attend the September 26 coronation in Opobo, a gesture seen as an expression of solidarity and mutual respect between the two traditional institutions.
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Jeki VI formally informed the Obi of the forthcoming coronation and extended an invitation to the monarch and his council. He expressed appreciation for the warm reception and the enduring friendship between Opobo and Onitsha.
The visit also featured traditional gestures of friendship and diplomacy, including the presentation and sharing of kola, exchange of gifts, and other ceremonial courtesies between the two royal delegations.
The Opobo throne carries the legacy of King Jaja, the 19th-century merchant prince and founder of the kingdom, whose commercial and political influence made Opobo a major power in the Niger Delta. His resistance to expanding British commercial interests and subsequent exile in 1887 remain significant chapters in Nigeria’s colonial history.
More than a century later, the institution established by Jaja continues to endure. The coronation of Jeki VI therefore represents not only the installation of a new monarch but also the renewal of the continuity and heritage of one of the Niger Delta’s most historic royal institutions.
The royal visit to Onitsha underscored that enduring connection, bringing together two traditional institutions whose histories remain deeply intertwined with the waterways, commerce and political history of southeastern Nigeria.
