The bill seeking to make the Sultan of Sokoto and Ooni of Ife the permanent co-chairmen of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria has received pushback from members of Kogi East Elders’ Council, (KEEC).
The proposal, a provision in the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill 2025, is before the National Assembly.
KEEC in a statement its Director of Communications, Ambassador Ali Ocheni released, said the portion didn’t find traction with them.
It therefore urged the National Assembly to yank off that particular clause that seeks to assign permanent leadership of the council to any throne.
As opposed to the controversial part, the group advised that leadership of the traditional rulers should be by rotational consensus of all member monarchs, in the spirt of fairness, justice and national unity.
In the statement Ocheni declared that the proposal is bizarre with the potential to cause crisis.
He added that it didn’t take into account alleged historical importance of Ata of Igala in the realm of Nigerian traditional leaders.
“The stool of the Ata Igala, ruler of one of the foremost traditional kingdoms in today’s Nigeria, has maintained its sovereignty and distinct identity for centuries. Thus, the idea of a legislation that seeks to elevate one traditional institution above others (nay, the Igala traditional Monarch) based on flawed historical narratives and religious affiliations is demeaning of the great, thriving traditional institutions and cultures that have thrived for ages on the country’s political landscapes,” the statement read partly.
