Ohanaeze, Middle Belt Forum reject bill on Sultan, Ooni as permanent council co-chairmen
Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has strongly condemned a bill currently before the Senate seeking to designate the Sultan of Sokoto and the Ooni of Ife as permanent co-chairmen of the National Council of Traditional Rulers.
In a press statement issued by its publicity secretary, Ezechi Chukwu, the apex Igbo socio-cultural group said the proposal undermines the authority and relevance of other top traditional rulers from various ethnic and geopolitical backgrounds.
Chukwu described the bill as “asymmetric” and accused the Senate of disregarding the principles of fairness, equity, justice, and federal character as enshrined in Nigeria’s constitution.
“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,” he said.
Ohanaeze criticised the lack of objective criteria in elevating the two monarchs, warning that the bill fails to reflect Nigeria’s ethnic diversity and could deepen divisions in the country. The group demanded its immediate withdrawal and review, calling for a framework that ensures cultural sensitivity, inclusive governance, and balanced representation.
They stressed that only such a review would promote national unity, peaceful coexistence, and social stability.
Similarly, the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has also voiced strong opposition to the bill. Its national spokesperson, Luka Binniyat, argued that the move appears to be an attempt to institutionalise the Sultan of Sokoto as the permanent co-chairman of the council, which would marginalise other traditional authorities.
Binniyat pointed out that the Sokoto Caliphate is historically younger than many ancient kingdoms in the Middle Belt, such as the Kwararafa Kingdom. According to him, there is no justification for the Sultan to supersede figures like the Aku Uka of Wukari in traditional hierarchy.
He added that the Sultan primarily serves as a religious leader rather than a secular monarch, and placing him in a permanent leadership role would alienate both Christians and adherents of traditional religions.
The MBF warned that if the Senate proceeds with passing the bill, the group would mobilise ethnic nationalities across the Middle Belt to boycott the council entirely.
