In a statement released on Sunday in Enugu, the group labeled the bill as unjust, cautioning that it marginalizes top traditional rulers from other ethnic groups and geopolitical zones in the country.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has strongly opposed a bill in the Nigerian Senate proposing to designate the Ooni of Ife and the Sultan of Sokoto as permanent Co-Chairmen of the National Council of Traditional Rulers.
The group, in a Sunday statement from Enugu, described the bill as unjust, arguing that it excludes paramount traditional leaders from other ethnic nationalities and regions.
Dr. Ezechi Chukwu, the National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, voiced serious concerns over what he called an asymmetric bill from the Senate, stressing that it overlooks the principles of equity, fairness, and federal character embedded in the Nigerian Constitution.
Chukwu stated that Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide is “astounded” by the motivation behind the bill, which he said endangers the nation’s commitment to inclusion and equality in its traditional leadership system.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the bill has passed its second reading in the Senate, sparking concerns across different ethnic and regional communities.
He said, “The Senate in this vein has failed in its capacity as the highest legislative carrier and custodian of the nation’s democratic mandate.
“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.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo called for the urgent withdrawal of the bill and the need to review it in consideration for ethnic differences, cultural sensitivity, geopolitical balance, inclusive governance and equitable representation.”
“It is only by so doing shall the bill foster national unity, peaceful co-existence and social stability,” Chukwu added.
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