COPIED
His Majesty king Dandeson Douglas Jaja Born on 28 April 1942. He is the first son of His Majesty king (Dr.) Douglas Jaja of blessed memory, the fourth Amayanabo (king) of Opobo. By 1977 King Dandeson started his grooming in Ibani Culture and the intricate protocol of its traditional institution. He began his succession rites in 1980, when his illustrious father King Douglas Jaja (Jaja IV), joined his ancestors.
It is a tradition that upon the transition of an Opobo King, a successor who would lead the funeral rites, must be announced by the king jaja executive authority, the highest policy making body of the king Jaja group of houses, before the burial.
So when King Douglas Jaja transited, the tradition of Opobo kingdom demanded that before the King is buried, a successor must be announced because the successor would lead the funeral rites. The burial rites require that the late King wears the crown during the funeral service and the funeral religious officiant after performing all burial rites and before interment, removes the crown and hands it over to the successor.
The responsibility of announcing the successor to the Amanyanabo Throne and election lies on the King Jaja Executive Authority, the highest policy making body of the King Jaja Group of Houses, also known as the Royal House. Following the transition of King Douglas Jaja, nominations were made within the Royal House, and Prince Dandeson, Michael Jaja and Dandeson’s uncle Eugene Jaja were nominated. By divine providence, Prince Dandeson was elected within the Royal House as he enjoyed the favour of all. Though there were speculation that it was the desire of the late King for Prince Dandeson to succeed him.
As with the practiced, after the election, the King Jaja Group of Houses would take whoever won the election for presentation to the Kiepirima section. So Prince Dandeson Douglas was taken to the Kiepirima section which used to be part of the opubo house, and the eldest man in opobo. The essence for that assignment is, that being the eldest, when the presentation of the Amayanabo elect is made, their responsibility is to trace the blood line, to ascertain the elected prince is a true son of the house. In the case of prince Dandeson, upon his election as the Amanyanabo elect, they took some bottles of drink to Dr. Alabo Arthur Toby which they collected, traditionally signifying
‘acceptance’. It was after the collection that the King Jaja group of Houses made an announcement for the funeral rites of the late king, and the announcement of the election of Dandison Douglass Jaja as the successor.
After several weeks of accepting the drinks presented, the Alabo of the Kiepirima section after conducting some consultations, returned the drinks. This act is considered contrary to the traditions, so the Jaja house refused to collect the drinks, given that the announcement of the funeral rites of the late king and the election of Amanyanabo-elect Prince Dandeson has been made. To the surprise of the Royal House, the Kiepirima section instituted a litigation over the outcome of the election of the Amayanabo elect in a Bori High Court, stating that they are the King Makers and that the rulership of Opobo Kingdom is rotational. They went further to claim that after the death of King Jaja in 1891, chief Cookey-gam was elected to rule Opobo kingdom but he declined out of respect for the supreme personal sacrifice of King Jaja towards the development of Opubo-Ama. Maintaining that Instead, he worked for the election of prince Fredrick Sunday Jaja, who took over the administration of Opobo from 1893 until his death in October 1915. And at his death, Chief Arthur Macpepple ascended the throne as Amanyanabo. The death of the last Amanyanabo of Opobo, chief (Dr.) Douglas Jaja on July 31, 1980, set in the motion for succession crisis which had profound socio-cultural-economic and political implications on Opobo kingdom.
The tussle started when on 15th and 16th of December, 1980; there were broadcasts over Radio Rivers that Mr. Dandeson Douglas Jaja had been proclaimed the Amanyanabo – elect of Opobo kingdom. Furthermore, a paid advertisement proclaiming Dandeson Jaja, the Amanyanabo elect of Opobo kingdom appeared in the Nigerian Tide Newspaper of December 17, 1980. The proclamation and subsequent publication of the matter did not go down well with Dappaye-Amakiri and Kiepirima section of Opobo which are the traditional king makers. These sections reacted by refuting the publication of the Opobo council of chiefs proclaiming Mr. Dandeson Jaja, the Amanyanabo elect of Opobo. The refutal appeared in the Sunday Tide Newspaper issue of December 21, 1980. Also, on Wednesday, January 7, 1981, the Datu section denounced the action of the chief of their main house, late chief Amos Dappa – the then secretary of the Opobo council of chief, for signing the proclamation without their consent and authority. The denunciation appeared in the Nigerian Tide Newspaper of 7th January, 1981. The Jaja House on the other hand maintained that its action does not call for conflict, claiming that its action was within its traditional ritess, noting that the District Officer for Opobo in 1930 described the Jaja House as those ‘‘ to whom is entrusted the election of Amanyanabo’’.
The Dappaye-Amakiri and Kiepirima sections in order to forestall the installation of Dandeson Jaja as the Amanyanabo of Opobo filed an ex-parte motion seeking for an interlocutory injection restraining the Opobo council of chiefs from installing Mr. Dandeson Jaja, the Amanyanabo of Opobo which was rejected. The court opted for full trail for the case instead. This marked the beginning of the spate of litigations that characterized the throne of the Amanyanabo of Opobo from 1980 to 2003.
Eventually, the Amanyanabo-elect His Majesty King Dandeson Douglas Jaja JP, Jeki Amanyanabo of Opobo was officially coronated on the 3rd of January, 2004.
Long Live the king!
Long Live Opobo kingdom!
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