Edidem of Akwa Akpa
| Title: | Edidem of Akwa Akpa |
| Full Name: | Bassey Ekpo Bassey II |
| Lineage: | |
| Coronation: | 06-04-2008 |
| Palace: | na |
| State: | Calabar |
| Profile: | Bassey Ekpo Bassey II was born in November 1949, son of Etubom Dr EE Bassey a medical doctor and grandson of King James Ekpo Bassey of Cobham Town. He had his early education in Calabar, Onitsha and Lagos. In 1974 he graduated from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka with a degree in journalism.
He followed a journalism career which saw him working in several parts of the country for organizations like the Nigerian Chronicle, The Punch, Newbreed magazine and The Call. Edidem Bassey was also for a time vice-president of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, and National Publicity director in the now defunct Nigerian Peoples Party. A socialist, in February 1989 he was head of the Directorate for Literacy and at about the same period he moved from cripto-politics to actual participation when he contested and won the elections for chairmanship of calabar Municipal council. In 1991 he was a gubernatorial aspirant in Cross River State, running on the Social Democratic Party platform. he was also National vice chairman(south south) for the Alliance for Democracy. He was also a kingmaker in the Efik Kingdom, and on 31 August 1991 he crowned Edidem Nta Elijah Henshaw VI as the Obong of Calabar in controversial circumstances. |
