The Muslim Rights Concern has urged lawmakers to strip state governors of the power to dethrone traditional rulers in their states.
This position was tabled by MURIC’s Founder and Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, on Friday, July 19, 2024.
Akintola commended the NASS for considering the creation of an independent commission to oversee local government elections, which would ensure transparency and reduce state governors’ interference. However, he emphasized that more needs to be done to protect traditional rulers from state governors’ excessive powers.
“The traditional stool has become the most unsafe, extremely unstable and categorically unreliable post in present-day Nigeria. Emirs, Obas, and Obis have become endangered species. They are being exploited, labeled, and dumped by successive regimes at the state level,” Akintola said.
He explained that traditional rulers are often forced to please state governors to avoid being deposed and banished, creating a vicious cycle of political manipulation. Akintola argued that the traditional system has its own methods for disciplining erring rulers and that state governors should not have the power to dethrone them.
“We appeal to our honourable lawmakers in the NASS to save Nigerian traditional rulers by amending or adding new clauses in relevant sections of the constitution to fortify traditional rulers from dethronement,” Akintola said.
He emphasized that this reform can only be achieved through a holistic approach at the national level, rather than piecemeal changes in each state. Akintola believes that extending the theory of separation of powers to include the traditional system would effectively operate at the grassroots level and align with Nigeria’s African setting.