Ooni of Ife Hosts Asari Dokubo in Bid to Deepen Kalabari Ties

African Festivals, Culture, Royals, Tourism

Ooni of Ife Hosts Asari Dokubo in Bid to Deepen Kalabari Ties

From Ile-Ife, the Yoruba cradle of creation, to Elem Kalabari, the ancestral home of a historic Niger Delta people, two royal institutions are opening a new chapter. The Ooni’s memorable welcome to Asari Dokubo comes as the Kalabari monarch prepares for his Se Diye coronation rites in Buguma on 19 December 2026.

Atlantic Post

October 27, 2026

4–5 minutes

Asari Dokubo, Kalabari Kingdom, Ooni of Ife, Se Diye Coronation, Yoruba Culture

Historic royal visit opens a new chapter of cultural, historical and economic partnership between the

Niger Delta and the South-West ahead of the December 19 final coronation rites in Elem Kalabari

ILE-IFE, Osun State, Nigeria – October 2026

Two of Nigeria’s most ancient seats of origin met at the Palace of Oduduwa this week. Da Amakiri Tubo,

Alhaji Mujahid Abubakr Dokubo-Asari, Amanyanabo of Elem Kalabari, Torusarama Piri, paid a royal visit

to the Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II.

The Kalabari monarch came seeking stronger cultural, historical and economic ties between the Kalabari

Kingdom and Ile-Ife. He also delivered a personal invitation to the Ooni and his council to Se Diye, the final rites of his coronation, holding on Saturday, December 19, 2026, in Buguma, Rivers State.

Speaking before the Ooni and the palace chiefs, Da Amakiri Tubo said the visit grew out of a relationship the two thrones had nurtured over time.

“It is based on the cordial relationship that we have built that I am here today to invite His Imperial

Majesty and his council to my Se Diye, the final rites of coronation on December 19, 2026, in Buguma.”

The Ooni received the Kalabari monarch and his entourage warmly. In a characteristically memorable remark, he described Da Amakiri Tubo as fearless, declaring that “the fear of Asari Dokubo is the beginning of wisdom.”

Oba Ogunwusi commended the wisdom with which Da Amakiri Tubo has handled his affairs since ascending the throne of Elem Kalabari. He also thanked him for his relationship with President Bola

Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR. Then, in words rich with meaning for both peoples, the Ooni thanked his guest for “finally coming home to Ile-Ife.”

At the close of the visit, the Ooni presented Da Amakiri Tubo with a bronze painting. He explained that it symbolized a single truth: people are his strength. The gift carries special weight. Ile-Ife is world-famous for its bronze and terracotta heads, cast between the 12th and 15th centuries, which remain among the finest works of art ever produced on the African continent.

The meeting brought together two royal institutions defined by origins, ancestral memory and the unbroken continuity of indigenous civilization.

Ile-Ife, the Cradle. In Yoruba tradition, Ile-Ife is the place where creation began and where Oduduwa, progenitor of the Yoruba, established his kingdom. From Ife, his descendants are said to have founded the great kingdoms of Yorubaland and beyond. Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, ascended the throne in December 2015 as the 51st Ooni. He marked ten years on the throne in December 2025 and has since become one of Africa’s most visible ambassadors of culture and heritage, at home and abroad.

Elem Kalabari, The Source. Elem Kalabari is the ancestral city from which the Kalabari people of the Niger Delta spread across their creeks and islands. For centuries it was one of West Africa’s great

Atlantic trading city-states, known to European merchants as “New Calabar”. Its canoe houses traded palm oil, ivory and other goods with Portuguese, Dutch and British ships. In the early 1880s, upheaval led the people to found new towns inland, including Abonnema (1882) and Buguma (1884), which became the royal capital. The title Amanyanabo of The Source keeps that ancestral memory alive. Both peoples honor their ancestors through enduring art. Ife’s bronze heads and the Kalabari duen fubara ancestral screens now sit in leading museums of the world, testimony to two civilizations that flourished long before Nigeria was formed.

The Ife visit was the third royal engagement of a deliberate tour. Earlier in the week, Da Amakiri Tubo called on the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, and the Etsu Nupe in Bida.

Taken together, the visits link Elem Kalabari with the leading traditional institutions of the North-West, the North-Central and the South-West. They show that Se Diye is not being treated as a purely local celebration. Da Amakiri Tubo is using his coronation to open dialogue and build lasting relationships between the Niger Delta and the rest of the country.

At a time when Nigerians seek fresh reasons to believe in their shared future, the meeting of The Source and The Cradle offers a reminder. The nation’s traditional institutions remain powerful bridges for unity, understanding and development.

The Royal Delegation

Da Amakiri Tubo was accompanied to Ile-Ife by:

• Prince Tonye T.J.T. Princewill, Paramount Head of the Queen Elebabene Da Ogo Group of Houses and Satellite Communities of Kalabari Kingdom

• Hajia Ramat Dokubo-Asari

• Hajia Halima Dokubo-Asari

• Mallam Mustapha Wakama

• Flora Ezeoko

• Al Humphrey Onyanabo, The Storyteller

• Prince Melford Princewill

• Engr. Bashir Lawal

• Alhaji Sanni Kazeem Adebayo

ABOUT SE DIYE

Se Diye is the highest and final stage of installation in Kalabari tradition. At this stage, the new Amanyanabo is presented before chiefs and the people from across the kingdom for final affirmation.

The Se Diye of Da Amakiri Tubo, Dabaye Amakiri I, holds on Saturday, December 19, 2026, in Buguma, Rivers State. Royal fathers, government leaders, the diplomatic community, investors and friends of Kalabari from across Nigeria and the world are expected.

Official statement released the the palace of the Amayanabo.