Abonnema has no monarchy but is governed by the principle of primus inter pares, first among equals.
Precedence in Abonnema's affairs is by date of chieftaincy creation and goes in the following order.
All these chieftaincies were created at Elem-Kalabari before the 1879 Kalabari civil war, which led to the issuance of the 1881 decretal order by Queen Victoria and consequently led to the fragmentation of Elem Kalabari into three new city-states.
Chief Disreal Gbobo Bob-Manuel, Owukori IX became Ananyanabo of Abonnema.
Abonnema is the headquarters of Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State in Nigeria.