The Amanyanabo of the Source, Elem Kalabari, Alhaji Mujahid Abubakr Dokubo-Asari, has paid a royal visit to the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, to strengthen the historic ties between the Niger Delta and Northern Nigeria. During the visit, he personally invited the Sultan to the final coronation ceremony, SE DIYE, on December 19, 2026, at King Amachree Memorial Hall, Buguma, Rivers State.
Dokubo-Asari said he has known the Sultan for many years and that they have performed the Hajj together “three or four times.” He also told the Sultan about the Nikkah of Princess Nene Amirah Dokubo-Asari, scheduled for December 18, 2026, the day before the final coronation rites. Explaining the ceremony, he said that becoming a fully coronated monarch involves several stages and that December 19 will mark his formal presentation to his people.
The Sultan said he was pleased to receive the delegation and praised Dokubo-Asari’s long-running humanitarian work among Muslim and non-Muslim communities. “God is never wrong in whatever he does. For him to be elevated now, it means the work he has been doing has had a positive impact on the people,” he said. He described leadership as a responsibility entrusted by Allah, assured the monarch of his continued support, and said, “By the grace of Almighty Allah, I will try and make it to your coronation.”
The report notes the history of the two institutions: Elem Kalabari developed as a maritime society shaped by riverine trade, diplomacy, and the canoe-house system, while Sokoto was the centre of the nineteenth-century Sokoto Caliphate. It says observers see sustained engagement between such centres as a chance to deepen cultural exchange and strengthen ties across Nigeria’s regional and religious divides, and that the visit has opened the door to reciprocal visits, cultural exchanges, and documentation of their histories.
SE DIYE is expected to draw traditional rulers, government representatives, cultural leaders, and other guests to Buguma for the final coronation and ascension ceremony marking Dokubo-Asari’s reign as Amanyanabo of the Source, Elem Kalabari, Torusarama Piri. It will be held on Saturday, December 19, 2026.
