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From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
The Leadership of the South East Traditional Rulers Council (SETRC) has insisted that the chairmanship of Southern Traditional Rulers Council (STRC) should rotate among the South East, South-West and South-South geopolitical zones, rather than remain permanently in any one zone.
The traditional rulers equally reaffirmed their position that the leadership of the SETRC should rotate to Abia State, with Eze Linus Nto Mba assuming the position of chairman, in line with the council’s Constitution.
The traditional rulers also called for the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu. These resolutions were contained in a communiqué issued after the South-East Quarterly Delegates Meeting of the council.
The council, in the communique, reaffirmed its support for the decision of the Southern Governors Forum reached in Ogun State, in 2025, on the establishment of the Southern Traditional Rulers Council and the rotation of its leadership among the three southern geopolitical zones for a two-year tenure.
It consequently rejected any arrangement that would grant permanent chairmanship of the body to a particular zone.
The council also called for the reconstitution of the current leadership of the Southern Traditional Rulers Council to reflect the recognised traditional rulers of member states, in line with the leadership template of the Southern Governors Forum.
In the forthcoming national elections, the South East traditional rulers expressed concern that the scheduled election dates, including January 16 and February 6, would be unfavourable to the region. They, however, urged the people of the South East to make the necessary sacrifices by returning to their respective registration areas to participate in the elections in large numbers.
The council further appealed to traditional rulers and community leaders across the region to suspend festivals and ceremonies from January 10, 2026, until the conclusion of the elections, to enable eligible voters to participate fully in the electoral process.
Meanwhile, the Council, in the communique, condemned the continued detention of the IPOB Leader, Nnamdi Kanu. It expressed concern that its previous appeals to the Federal Government for his release had not yielded the desired result, and renewed her call for Kanu’s unconditional release.
The communique was signed by Eze Dr. Linus Nto Mbah, Chairman, South East Traditional Rulers Council & Chairman, Abia Council of Traditional Rulers; Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, Obi of Onitsha, and Eze (Dr.) E.C. Okeke, Chairman, Imo Council of Traditional Rulers.
Others are Igwe Samuel Asadu, Chairman, Enugu Council of Traditional Rulers; Eze Charles Mkpuma, Chairman, Ebonyi State Council of Traditional Rulers; Igwe Chidubem Iweka, Chairman, Anambra State Council, and Igwe (Dr.) Lawrence Agupuzy, Coordinator, SECTR.
