By Peter Omopo
Enugu, July 28, 2025
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has strongly opposed a bill currently before the Senate seeking to grant exclusive and permanent co-chairmanship of the National Council of Traditional Rulers to the Ooni of Ife and the Sultan of Sokoto.
Describing the bill as unjust and ethnically biased, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization warned that the legislation, which has already passed second reading, undermines the principles of fairness, equity, and federal character enshrined in Nigeria’s constitution.
In a statement issued on Sunday in Enugu, the National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr. Ezechi Chukwu, said the group was “astounded” by what it called an asymmetric legislative move that blatantly disregards the diverse ethnic and cultural makeup of the country.
“This bill is not only inequitable, discriminatory, and ethnocentric; it is equally distasteful, reprehensible, and objectionable,” Chukwu said.
He criticized the Senate for what he described as a dereliction of its role as the custodian of Nigeria’s democratic mandate, noting that the proposed law lacked ethical foundations, objective evaluation, and inclusive parameters necessary for fostering national unity and justice.
Ohanaeze demanded the immediate withdrawal of the bill, urging lawmakers to reconsider the proposal with due regard to ethnic diversity, cultural sensitivities, geopolitical balance, and inclusive governance.
“Only by doing so can such a bill promote national unity, peaceful coexistence, and social stability in our pluralist nation-state,” Chukwu added.
The group emphasized that apex traditional rulers from other regions — including the Southeast, South-South, North-Central, and South-West — must not be relegated in national representation.
The controversial bill has sparked growing debate across the country, with critics warning that institutionalizing such exclusive roles risks deepening ethnic divisions rather than strengthening national cohesion.
