In compliance with the Supreme Court judgement of January 13, 2023, and the advice contained in the judgement that a new monarch must be elected Obong of Calabar before the end of yesterday, Wednesday, January 18, 2023, a conclave of 13 kingmakers or Etuboms, have proclaimed Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu V as the ‘new’ Obong of Calabar.
The proclamation, made late Wednesday night, also saw the kingmakers endorse the proclamation document signed by chairman of the conclave, HRH Etubom Ntiero Eden Effiwat and Secretary, HRH Etubom Edem Ita Ededem.
Abasi Otu V who stands re-selected, has endured a long grinding and attritous legal battle brought against him by Anthony Ani, Nigeria’s former finance minister who had challenged the monarch’s earlier selection and the kingmaker’s denial of his participation in the 2008 selection process. The apex court relied on the judgement of the lower court which stated and agreed that was not capped in the first instance and was therefore not qualified and eligible to take part in a fresh selection process.
