Before 18OO, Ajaokuta which is situated on the NigerRiver South of the Niger Benue confluence area hadalready evolved elaborate organizational structuresbased on clans and lineages. By the 1800's Europeanexplorers and traders became increasingly involved inthe affairs of the Niger region, particularly as itaffected economic activities. Upto the second half ofthe 19th century the Attah's representatives on theNiger controlled trade on his behalf. Theserepresentatives gradually became powerful, wealthy asa result of their involvement in the trade andpolitics of the area and had considerable followers. During the second half of the 19th Century, theAttah was faced with challenges especially on hiseconomic prerogatives on the Niger, particularly, bythe Europeans who by this time had becomeincreasingly involved in the economic activities ofthe region. When the Attah discovered the changingroles of the Europeans and his ambitiousrepresentatives, he further intensified efforts tomaintain his power and wealth enforcing absolutecontrol over trade on the Niger..

The central theme of this work is the political leadership and conflicts in Ebiraland, Nigeria during the period 1900-2003. The work examines the dynamics of political leadership in Ebiraland from the precolonail through the colonial upto the postcolonial periods. The rationalization behind this exercise is premised on the prevailing circumstances where the people are either described as lawless or people without leaders. Intrigues and political factions characterised Ebira poltical process with a regretable scenario of tripolar divide of clanish chauvinism, political bigotry and cultural nuisance. Essentially the work examines the dynamics of political leadership and conflicts in Ebiraland from precolonial upto colonial with fundamental issues like the people's socio economic structure, native administrative sysytem poltics of exclusion and inclusion, conflicts and violence and the attendant consequeces on the socio-poltical millieu of the people.