Ohanaeze Ndigbo slams senate bill naming Ooni, Sultan as permanent Co-Chairs of traditional rulers’ council

July 28, 2025

By Ayinde Adeleke

The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has strongly condemned a bill before the Nigerian Senate that proposes the Ooni of Ife and the Sultan of Sokoto as permanent Co-Chairmen of the National Council of Traditional Rulers.

In a statement released on Sunday in Enugu, the group described the bill as unjust and warned that it marginalizes apex traditional rulers from other ethnic nationalities and geopolitical zones across the country.

Dr. Ezechi Chukwu, National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, expressed deep concern over the Senate’s asymmetric bill, emphasizing that it disregards the principles of fairness, equity, and federal character enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution.

“The Senate has failed in its capacity as the highest legislative carrier and custodian of the nation’s democratic mandate,” Chukwu said.

According to Chukwu, “This bill is not only inequitable, discriminatory, and ethnocentric, it is equally distasteful, reprehensible, and objectionable.

“It lacks all the ethical considerations, objective metrics, and unbiased categories for national unity and social justice in a pluralist nation-state like Nigeria.”

The bill has already passed its second reading in the Senate, sparking tensions among various ethnic and regional groups.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo has called for the urgent withdrawal of the bill and a review that considers ethnic differences, cultural sensitivity, geopolitical balance, inclusive governance, and equitable representation.

As Chukwu noted, “It is only by so doing shall the bill foster national unity, peaceful co-existence, and social stability.”

The group insists that the Senate must prioritize fairness and inclusivity in the nation’s traditional leadership structure.