Atebe began his political career in 1999 when he first ran for office.[2] He was first elected mayor in 2005, after serving as a member of the city council for six years. Atebe was re-elected in 2008 over Matt Johnson, his opponent, who received less than 20 percent of the vote[1] after almost being acclaimed as mayor of Mission.[3] However, in the 2011 municipal election, Atebe was defeated by opponent Ted Adlem, who captured 50 percent of the vote.[4]
Atebe was a roommate of Canadian prime ministerStephen Harper in Calgary.[5] In 2009, Canadian Immigrant named Atebe as "one of Canada's Top 25 immigrants" at the Citizenship and Immigration office in Vancouver as part of the Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards.[6]