An Edo socio-cultural group, Ogbakha-Edo, has demanded the withdrawal of a proposed bill seeking to make the Sultan of Sokoto and the Ooni of Ife permanent co-chairmen of the Nigerian Council of Traditional Rulers.
The group also called for the position to be made non-permanent and rotational among first-class traditional rulers across the country.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, the group’s Chairman and Secretary, Prof. Sam Guobadia and Dr. Andrew Osaretin Izekor, respectively, said the move was an attempt to diminish the authority of the Oba of Benin.
In a statement released after the briefing, the group declared total rejection of any effort to undermine the Benin throne.
“We find it highly inappropriate to perpetually subjugate the Oba of Benin by way of an illogical constitutional enactment.
“This ill-conceived and historically unjustifiable proposal is not only logically flawed but also provocative, divisive, and culturally offensive,” the statement read.
Ogbakha-Edo described the proposed arrangement as an attempt to “institutionalise supremacy where none exists,” claiming it exploits past protocols created for political expediency.
The group said, “The Benin people, anchored in centuries of cultural pride and historical sovereignty, vehemently reject any move that seeks to subordinate the imperial and highly revered throne of the Oba of Benin to any other traditional or religious authority under the guise of national unity or representational balance.
“While the Oba of Benin is currently categorized among the highest-ranking traditional rulers in Nigeria, it is absolutely unacceptable—indeed, an affront to justice and history—to diminish his stature through such unwarranted and biased constitutional manipulation.”
Citing historical records, the group said the Benin Empire predated British colonial rule by over 1,600 years and was an expansive, organised, and diplomatically advanced polity.
“The Oba of Benin was not merely a king, but an emperor with vast dominions, extending across present-day Edo, Delta, parts of Ondo, Lagos, and into present-day Benin Republic. Northwards, the influence of the Oba reached beyond Esanland and Afemai territories to the foothills of the Kukuruku Mountains,” it added.
Ogbakha-Edo described the bill as a politically motivated assault.
“It is very obvious that in arriving at the conclusion that only the Ooni of Ife and the Sultan of Sokoto should be permanent co-chairmen, ostensibly to represent the geopolitical north and south regions, historical, territorial, and cultural pedigree in determining leadership within the Council of Traditional Rulers were not taken into account.
“This bill, therefore, appears to be a politically motivated assault on the delicate balance and mutual respect that currently define inter-traditional relations in Nigeria. It threatens to upend centuries of coexistence, fuel regional discontent, and reignite historical grievances,” the group added.
It urged the National Assembly to tread carefully and avoid political manoeuvring that could damage the dignity and integrity of the country’s traditional institutions.
