Ijaw National Congress Rejects Senate Bill Elevating Sultan, Ooni as Permanent Traditional Council Co-Chairs
The Ijaw National Congress (INC) has strongly opposed a bill currently before the Nigerian Senate that seeks to permanently appoint the Sultan of Sokoto and the Ooni of Ife as the exclusive co-chairmen of the National Council of Traditional Rulers.
Describing the proposal as provocative, discriminatory, and a threat to national unity, the INC warned that it undermines the status of other revered traditional rulers from various ethnic and geopolitical regions across Nigeria.
Speaking through a statement issued on Tuesday in Yenagoa, Chief Nengi James, the INC’s Second Vice Chairman, argued that the bill constitutes a continued infringement on the rights of indigenous communities, violating the principles of equity, federal character, and cultural diversity.
“This move is unacceptable and fundamentally against the rights of indigenous peoples across different tribes, religions, and customs,” James said. “The idea of permanent chairmanship for just two traditional rulers is undemocratic and should be reviewed.”
He urged the National Assembly to amend the bill to promote a rotational leadership system within the traditional rulers’ council, in line with Nigeria’s federal character and to preserve peace.
James called on Senate President Godswill Akpabio to urgently step down what he described as a ‘highly insensitive and dangerous bill’, warning that it could deepen divisions and provoke unrest among Nigeria’s diverse ethnic groups.
“The bill must reflect a fair and inclusive structure, where no traditional ruler or ethnic group is elevated above others,” he added. “Traditional institutions should be empowered through constitutional recognition, and leadership must be chosen internally through fair, rotational mechanisms.”
The INC emphasized that equal recognition of traditional rulers nationwide is critical for sustaining national unity and preventing ethnocentric dominance within the traditional governance structure.
