Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has accepted an invitation to attend the coronation of the Amanyanabo of Opobo Kingdom, King Charles Douglas MacPepple Jaja, Jeki VI, scheduled for September 26, 2026.
Jonathan gave the confirmation on Wednesday, August 26, when he received the Opobo monarch and members of the Opobo Council of Alapu at his residence in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
The visit was part of engagements by the monarch and his council ahead of the coronation.
Describing Opobo Kingdom as a historic kingdom with significant contributions to Nigeria’s history, Jonathan said the visit by the monarch was a great honour.
“Opobo Kingdom is a place with history, and this visit is a big honour,” the former President said.”
He further assured the monarch of his presence at the coronation, adding, “We will come to honour you back.”
Jonathan congratulated King Charles Douglas MacPepple Jaja and acknowledged the significance of the Opobo throne to the history and development of the Niger Delta.
Speaking during the visit, King Charles said the delegation came not only to formally invite Jonathan but also to exchange views on issues of common interest to the region.
Addressing the former President as a foremost Ijaw son and Nigerian leader, the monarch said the significance of the occasion made it necessary for him to personally seek Jonathan’s presence.
“We cannot coronate an Opobo monarch without coming to see you,” King Charles told Jonathan.”
The coronation ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, September 26, 2026, and will serve as the high point of a ten-day programme running from September 18 to 27.
The Opobo monarchy traces its origins to King Jaja of Opobo, who emerged as a major political and commercial authority in the 19th-century Niger Delta.
Following the Bonny civil conflict of the late 1860s, Jaja and his compatriots established Opobo as an independent political and commercial centre. He subsequently developed an extensive trading network and wielded considerable influence over the palm-oil trade between the Niger Delta hinterland and the Atlantic coast.
In 1873, Britain entered into a commercial treaty with Jaja, formally recognising him as King of Opobo. His growing resistance to British commercial and imperial interests later brought him into conflict with the colonial authorities. He was arrested and exiled in 1887, an episode that remains a significant chapter in the history of colonial relations in the Niger Delta.
King Charles Douglas MacPepple Jaja became Amanyanabo-Elect following the death of King Dandeson Douglas Jaja and is expected to be formally crowned Amanyanabo of Opobo Kingdom at the September 26 ceremony.
The historic coronation is expected to attract traditional rulers, political leaders, members of the diplomatic community, business leaders and Opobo indigenes from Nigeria and abroad.
