A coalition of concerned Hausa stakeholders has rejected the Senate bill proposing to establish a National Council of Traditional Rulers with only the Sultan of Sokoto and the Ooni of Ife as permanent co-chairmen. In a strongly worded statement issued Saturday in Kaduna, the group described the bill as ethnically biased, constitutionally unjustifiable, and a threat to Nigeria’s unity.
They argue that Nigeria is not a two-ethnic federation of Fulani and Yoruba, but a diverse country with multiple ethnic groups and historical civilizations that deserve equal recognition. The group also contends that the Sultan of Sokoto is primarily a religious figure rather than a cultural traditional ruler and does not represent the broader northern or Hausa traditional institutions. They pointed to the Sultan’s own affirmation of his Fulani identity and described his elevation as exclusionary and misleading.
The statement questioned the absence of other significant traditional institutions like the Shehu of Borno, the Obi of Onitsha, and Hausa monarchs from Daura, Zaria, Kano, and Katsina. It warned that promoting two ethnic monarchs to national leadership undermines the principles of federal character and fuels ethnic resentment.
Calling for the withdrawal or redrafting of the bill, the stakeholders demanded either a balanced religious framework that includes Christian leaders or an inclusive traditional structure that recognizes all ethnic groups. They emphasized that any national traditional leadership must be built on historical legitimacy and inclusive dialogue rather than political favoritism.
The statement concluded with a firm warning against any legislative framework that erases or sidelines the Hausa nation’s traditional sovereignty or marginalizes other indigenous ethnic groups in Nigeria.
