The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has strongly condemned the bill currently before the Senate that seeks to permanently designate the Ooni of Ife and the Sultan of Sokoto as the exclusive co-chairmen of the Traditional Rulers Council.
In a press statement, the organisation’s publicity secretary, Ezechi Chukwu, described the proposal as one that marginalises apex traditional rulers from other ethnic nationalities and geopolitical zones.
According to Chukwu, the socio-cultural body is “astounded by the rationale behind what he termed an asymmetric bill by the Senate, with its utter disregard for fairness, equity, justice and the principle of federal character as enshrined in the constitution.”
He further asserted: “The Senate in this vein has failed in its capacity as the highest legislative carrier and custodian of the nation’s democratic mandate. This bill is not only inequitable, discriminatory and ethnocentric, it is equally distasteful, reprehensible and objectionable.”
Chukwu added that the bill lacks ethical grounding, objective metrics, and any form of impartial criteria necessary for promoting national unity and social justice in a diverse country like Nigeria.
He called for its immediate withdrawal and a comprehensive review that takes into account ethnic plurality, cultural sensitivity, geopolitical equity, inclusive governance, and fair representation.
Only such an approach, he maintained, could ensure national cohesion, peaceful coexistence, and social harmony.
Similarly, the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has voiced strong opposition to the proposed legislation, describing it as an attempt to permanently institutionalise the Sultan of Sokoto as co-chairman of the council.
Speaking on behalf of the group, national spokesperson Luka Binniyat highlighted the historical and cultural imbalance inherent in the bill.
He argued that the Sokoto Caliphate is a relatively recent institution when compared to the ancient kingdoms and confederacies of the Middle Belt, citing the revered Kwararafa royal stool as a case in point.
According to Binniyat, “There is no way the Sultan of Sokoto can supersede the Aku of Wukari in status, let alone sit over him in the council.”
He further noted that the Sultan is primarily a religious figurehead, not a secular traditional monarch, warning that assigning him a permanent leadership role would risk alienating both Christians and adherents of traditional religions.
The MBF concluded its statement with a firm warning: should the Senate proceed with passing the bill into law, the group would mobilise all ethnic nationalities across the Middle Belt to boycott the Traditional Rulers Council in protest.
