Anthony Ani, Calabar Obong and Palace Democracy By Olusegun Adeniyi Celebrations at the palace of the Obong of Calabar, Édidem Ekpo Okon Abasi-Otu V, following his dethronement by the Supreme Cour
Celebrations at the palace of the Obong of Calabar, Édidem Ekpo Okon Abasi-Otu V, following his dethronement by the Supreme Court last Friday, caught the attention of curious Nigerians. Most are oblivious to the interesting subtext. The judgement was well received by a majority of Efiks and the people of Calabar but there is also broader relief that the 15-year legal battle for the Obong stool has finally been resolved on the side of commonsense and public good.
Now, the story. There are 12 ruling houses in Calabar, each headed by an Etubom who is eligible to be Obong, provided such a person has been ‘capped’ by a sitting Obong. This simple but rather significant ceremony involves the Obong in Council placing the traditional woven cap on the Etubom so chosen by a ruling house as a formal initiation. In November 2001, following the death of Edidem Boco Ene Nkpang Cobham, a problem arose.
I understand that in deference to Ani, Abasi-Otu initially campaigned for the fellow of chartered accountant and former minister. But the more Abasi-Otu presented Ani’s case among the Etuboms, the more he was asked, “What stops you from becoming Obong? Why are you promoting a man who is not qualified for the throne?” Apart from the issue of capping, I understand that most of the Etuboms considered Ani too arrogant for the throne.
With the Council of Etuboms united against him and in support of the dethroned Obong, Ani knew what would follow. So, his lawyer went back to the court of appeal to argue that if the judgement was not stayed, “the appellants/applicants right of Appeal against the said judgement will be paralysed if the Appeal succeeds, it will create a situation of helplessness and make the judgement of the Appellate Court nugatory”.
Meanwhile, there are many lessons to learn from the Obong tussle in Calabar. One, the process is as important as the outcome. Two, attempts to circumvent the rule of law and procedural approach to institutional offices have consequences. Ani knows that too well. The late Etubom Ekpo Bassey was part of this drama. He once proclaimed himself the Edidem without the endorsement of other Etuboms. Many in Calabar still attribute his sudden death in 2010 to that unilateral declaration.
In the first to Anyaoku’s memoir, ‘The Inside Story of the Modern Commonwealth’, Mandela wrote: “I am well aware of the need to avoid exaggerating the role of the individual in history. On the other hand, history is replete with examples of individuals intervening in situations and making all the difference. Emeka Anayoku’s intervention in South Africa’s transition from apartheid to non-racial democracy was a decisive contribution which history, if properly nursed, will come to acknowledge.
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