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The National Council for Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2024, currently before the Senate, sponsored by Simon Bako Lalong (Plateau South), passed its second reading in March 2025, and is now under consideration by the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service.
The bill seeks to make the Ooni of Ife and the Sultan of Sokoto exclusive co- chairmen of traditional rulers in the country.
In this report, some Nigerians scolded the upper legislative chamber over the bill, and asked that it should be jettisoned.
MBF rejects bill – Luka Binniyat, MBF spokesman; Kaduna
The Sultan is primarily a religious leader, not a secular traditional monarch.
In Nigeria today, the Sultan of Sokoto is widely acknowledged as the spiritual head of all Nigerian Muslims. His spiritual leadership role is fundamentally religious. It is not secular.
Our rejection is anchored on strong historical, cultural, constitutional, and moral grounds. The Sokoto Sultanate is historically junior to Middle Belt monarchies. Historically, the Sokoto Caliphate is a relatively young institution compared to ancient kingdoms and confederacies in the Middle Belt.
For instance, the Kwararafa Confederacy, which flourished for centuries, predates the Caliphate. It is a historically documented fact that the confederate state of Kwararafa existed right back to circa 800s-1700s A.D. The Aku Uka of Wukari, its current spiritual heir, represents a legacy that predates Sokoto Caliphate’s very existence.
The Sultan of Sokoto can therefore not supersede the Aku Uka of Wukari in status and prestige to seat over him as chairman of the traditional Ccouncil created by law.
It’s an attempt to make some ethnic groups superior – Rev. Emmanuel Olorunmagba, cleric; Kaduna
The bill would have been a good one if consideration was given for diverse ethnic differences and geopolitical balance in the country. How can such a bill only focus on one traditional ruler from Southwest and another from North, in a multi-ethnic state like Nigeria, where we ought to ensure national unity? This is totally wrong and an attempt to make other ethnic groups superior.
It’s an aberration, unacceptable – Chief Bemgba Iortyom, ex- spokesman, Benue PDP; Makurdi
The bill is an aberration and an assault on the sensibilities of Nigerians given the diverse cultural composition of the country. No ethnic group should be vaunted and placed as superior over another or others to such an absurd extent. The constitution of Nigeria recognises equality of all citizens, and that supposes that no individual of group should be deemed superior to another or others.
Moreover, both rulers proposed as co-chairmen do not even have the locus to be so placed, considering the Ooni of Ife is not the ruler of the whole Yoruba ethnic group, but only a part of it; same as the Sultan of Sokoto, who is only a religious leader and not per se a traditional ruler. Both cannot be placed as superiors over traditional rulers who wield authority over larger jurisdictions, such as the Tor Tiv, who is ruler over the entire Tiv ethnic group.
It’s not in the best interest of Nigeria – Chief Iorbee Ihagh, PG, Tiv groups; Makurdi
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The choice of the two people is very wrong because Nigeria is not an Islamic state. Both of them are all Muslims. A Christian should be there also. By population, the Tor Tiv has more people than any other chief in Nigeria. The Sultan of Sokoto is not a traditional ruler. He’s an Islamic leader. I think the Tor Tiv should be represented because we are the fourth largest ethnic group, and he has more people within Nigeria than any other chief. The Ooni of Ife is not the chief of Yoruba. He is so regarded because that is the ancestral place of the Yoruba people. So, the bill or the choice is not in the interest of Nigeria.
Bill is anti Igbo – Nendes Ejeagba, public affairs analyst, Aba
The bill should not in any way be passed. Nigeria we all know, whether we like it or not, stands on a tripod -Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba. If they should choose the Ooni of Ife who is a Yoruba and the Sultan of Sokoto, an Hausa-Fulani, as co-chair, what happens to the Igbo? It’s anti Igbo.
It will create more problems – Ifeanyi Iheanacho, public servant; Umuahia
The bill should not be passed because it will create more problems that it intended to solve.
Already, Ohanaeze has kicked against the bill and we from this part of the country are joining them. They should allow the leadership of the traditional rulers to rotate among the major blocs of the country. Excluding the Igbo amounts to further marginalisation of the South-East and it’s unacceptable.
It will further polarise the country – Comrade Osazee Edigin, activist; Benin
The bill is capable of causing grave animosity. The leadership and the representatives of the people have continued to take steps that further polarise Nigeria by the day. A country made up of over 360 ethnic groups shouldn’t be reduced to only two groups chairing others. It’s ill-thought and doesn’t speak to the spirit of oneness and unity as laid down by our foremost nationalists. The bill should be thrown into the waste bin of history as it is diversionary and capable of causing grave animosity.
Bill should die natural death- Wilson Etinosa Ekhomogiazin, entrepreneur; Benin
The bill should die a natural death. There are more important issues to be discussed than this proposed bill. Nigerians are hungry, unemployed, and there is insecurity everywhere. They should focus their energy on those issues. The senate wants to divert the attentions of Nigerians.
Govt wants to create chaos – High Chief Omubo Harry, elder statesman; Port Harcourt
The traditional institution has nothing to do with governance; and the government has nothing to do with traditional institutions.
I would advise that the government should focus on addressing the plethora of problems confronting Nigeria and not cause confusion in the country. The Traditional Rulers Council is turn-by-turn. The government should allow it to flow in that sequence so that they (government) don’t bring tribes together to have conflict of strife and hatred.
It will cause strife, disunity among tribes – Eze C.A. Nwogu, of Owaza Kingdom, Abia
It is very unfortunate for the senate to take that step. We, who are the goose that lays the golden egg, should be consulted before taking any step that has to do with the national traditional council.
We are not happy and there is no traditional ruler that would be happy with such a bill. This will cause serious strife and disunity among tribes; and we cannot allow it to flow.
Bill will cause rift, breach of peace – Alabo Nengi James, rural chiefs coordinator; Yenagoa
The bill is unacceptable and against the rights of the indigenous people across tribes, religion, culture and customs. No permanent chairmanship for Sultan and Ooni must be allowed in the ongoing bill. The National Assembly should allow the traditional rulers to appoint their leadership themselves, rotationally and based on Federal Character.
There is no traditional ruler from another tribe or religion that is superior to another. The National Assembly should step down this provocative, dehumanising and offensive bill that will cause a serious rift and breach of peace in Nigeria.
