Tension in Yala as Chief Julius Okpotu Allegedly Moves to Install New Paramount Ruler Despite July 1 Election

Tension in Yala as Chief Julius Okpotu Allegedly Moves to Install New Paramount Ruler Despite July 1 Election

 

A fresh leadership crisis is threatening to engulf Ukelle, a community in Yala Local Government Area of Cross River State, following allegations of a secret plot to impose a new paramount ruler despite a recent election.

 

Sources within the community allege that Chief Julius Okpotu, a prominent politician, is attempting to bypass the outcome of the July 1 election by pushing to install Chief Sunday Ugboko as a rival paramount ruler, igniting unrest and deepening divisions within the traditional leadership structure.

 

The controversial development comes just days after the July 1 election that saw HRM Ogamode Eje emerge as the Paramount Ruler following an earlier resolution by traditional leaders. The election was seen by many as a long-awaited step toward stability and unity in Yala.

An indigene of the community, who requested anonymity for security reasons, described the attempt to overturn the outcome as a “dangerous step backwards” that could deepen existing tensions.

 

“It is sad that after the elders and traditional rulers came together to elect a new paramount ruler, someone is now trying to impose another candidate,” the source said.

 

Back in April 2025, a communiqué signed by five out of the eight Clan Heads from Ukelle North and South resolved to support the candidacy of His Royal Highness Ubet Michael A. Achigbe as Paramount Ruler, after a series of meetings under the Ukelle Traditional Rulers Forum (UTRF). The communiqué cited unresolved land disputes between communities such as Azene and Uzenyi, Oyuba and Ehetezi, and Ukpohi and Utolo, emphasizing the need for a leader who could command wide support and foster unity.

 

The Forum had also agreed that the position of Paramount Ruler be zoned to South Ukelle, yet efforts to arrive at a consensus candidate from that region reportedly failed.

 

Following this, the majority of clan heads endorsed HRH Ubet Michael A. Achigbe, leading to his formal emergence as a traditional leader before HRM Ogamode Eje was elected on July 1.

 

However, the fresh attempt to install Chief Sunday Ugboko is now threatening to disrupt that process.

 

Community leaders and youth groups have begun voicing their disapproval, calling on state authorities and the Cross River State Traditional Council to intervene to prevent a full-blown crisis.

 

“There should be no room for imposition in traditional leadership,” one youth leader said. “This is about the unity of our people and the sanctity of our customs.”