The Prominent Group in this area include the Igbo, Ibibio, Ijo, Efik. This area is in General, characterized by non-centralized societies, with the Igbo being probably a minor exception.
The Ijo represents the naija-delta in a belt stretching from ondo state to bayelsa and river state. those of them in the eastern delta section area developed small states, the more prominent once being ibani (Bonny) Eleme Kalabari (New Calaba), Nembe (Brass) and Okirika. the development of the state occurred fro about the sixteenth century in response to the Atlantic trade.


Before the arrival of the Europeans the typical Ijo settlement in eastern delta was a small village containing only a few hundred inhabitants. Each village was divided into wards (polo) which was in turn sub divided into house holds (wari). The MAIN POLITICAL PARTY in the village was the assembly of all adult males which was presided over by the Amayanabo who owned the office to the fact that he was the head of the linage. This discovered or founded the village site. THE Amanyanabo's wire however, essential rituals. With the advent of Atlantic trade, villages or communities which succeeded in gaining greater control of the commerce with the Europeans became nuclei of new state. And the Amanyanabo metamorphosed into a political official. The Efic became the main distributor of the Atlantic trade on the cross river just as the ijo's did in the eastern delta. The four major Efic settlement of the Obio oko (Creek Town), Atakpa (Duke Town). Obutong (Old Town) and Nsidung (Henshaw Town) came to be collectively called calaba. Although the various Efic communities had their titular heads, styled the Obong, effective authority was exercised of through membership in political socialites, the most important of which was ekpe. The Obong was therefore a member of the highest grades of the society..................................Read More http://pearlblogz..com/2012/06/about-eatern-zone-of-nigeria.html