Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has strongly opposed a Senate bill proposing the Ooni of Ife and the Sultan of Sokoto as permanent Co-Chairs of the National Council of Traditional Rulers, describing it as unjust and divisive.
In a statement issued in Enugu on Sunday, the group warned that the bill sidelines other apex traditional rulers across Nigeria’s diverse ethnic and geopolitical landscape. The organisation argued that such legislation violates the principles of equity, fairness, and federal character enshrined in the Constitution.
Dr. Ezechi Chukwu, National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, expressed shock at the Senate’s move, calling the bill asymmetric and inconsistent with Nigeria’s plural identity.
“The Senate has abdicated its role as custodian of democratic integrity,” he said. “This bill is not only ethnocentric and discriminatory, but also lacking in ethical merit and national consideration. It undermines unity and offends the spirit of inclusive governance.”
Chukwu stressed that institutionalising leadership positions for only two ethnic groups threatens national cohesion and could sow deeper divisions. He urged the Senate to withdraw the bill immediately and review it to ensure ethnic sensitivity, cultural respect, and geopolitical balance.
He concluded, “Only by embracing equity and representation can such a bill promote national unity, peaceful coexistence, and lasting stability.”
