Benin Group Rejects Sultan–Ooni Co-Chairmanship in Proposed Traditional Rulers Council

August 2, 2025

By Ayinde Adeleke

A Benin socio-cultural group, Ogbakha-Edo, has voiced strong opposition to a provision in a proposed bill before the National Assembly seeking to establish a Nigerian Council of Traditional Rulers. The controversial part of the bill names the Ooni of Ife and the Sultan of Sokoto as permanent co-chairmen. According to the group, this move is unjust and disregards the historical significance of other revered monarchs in the country.

In a statement signed by its chairman, Prof. Sam Guobadia, and secretary, Dr. Andrew Osaretin Izekor, the group described the provision as an attempt to “undermine or diminish” the authority of the Oba of Benin. They argued that the Oba’s throne predates colonialism and that such a bill, if passed, would amount to the perpetual subjugation of one of Nigeria’s oldest and most respected royal institutions.

The group called the proposal illogical, provocative, and culturally offensive, accusing its drafters of trying to institutionalize supremacy where none exists. They emphasized that the Oba of Benin once ruled an expansive empire that covered areas in present-day Edo, Delta, Ondo, Lagos, and even extended into the current Benin Republic. The group argued that ignoring this historical reality in favor of a simplified North–South representation is both flawed and divisive.

Ogbakha-Edo is demanding either the withdrawal of the bill in its entirety or a restructuring that makes the chairmanship of the council rotational among all first-class traditional rulers. They insist that no monarch should be placed permanently above others, especially in a culturally diverse nation like Nigeria.