Abasi People Foundation (APF) has issued a stern call to the leadership of the National Assembly to withdraw a bill seeking to establish a National Council of Traditional Rulers with permanent co-chairmanship granted to the Sultan of Sokoto and the Ooni of Ife.
In a letter addressed to Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, it described the proposal as “a brazen and repugnant attempt to codify ethnic supremacy” and a violation of the Nigerian Constitution’s principles of equity and non-discrimination.
Representing the Ibibio, Annang, Efik, Oro, Ekid, Obolo and Ekoi peoples spread across 31 local government areas of Akwa Ibom State and seven southern LGAs of Cross River State, the APF emphasised that the bill, if passed, would create a constitutionally impermissible hierarchy and marginalise other ethnic nationalities.
Citing Section 42(2) of the Constitution, which prohibits discrimination based on ethnic group or place of origin, the APF argued that the permanent leadership structure proposed in the bill undermines the rich and diverse heritage of Nigeria’s traditional institutions.
“The establishment of a National Council of Traditional Rulers should be a unifying force, not a tool for division,” the statement read. “If such a body is necessary, its leadership must reflect the true federal character of Nigeria, with rotational leadership or a council of equals.”
The APF urged the National Assembly to “consign this ill-conceived proposal to the dustbin of history” and act with “patriotic foresight” to protect national unity.
The letter signed by APF’s Legal Adviser, Sunday Uko Afiko, concluded by expressing confidence that the National Assembly under its current leadership would act in the interest of “a united and equitable Nigeria.”
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