Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called for constitutional reform to recognise and define the responsibilities of traditional institutions in Nigeria
He made the call on Tuesday in a post on his official X account in response to developments in the institution, particularly in Kano, where a raging controversy is ongoing over the deposition and return of emirs and the latest reported plan to depose the Sultan of Sokoto.
Atiku underlined the importance of traditional institutions in Nigeria’s governance structure and called for their protection from arbitrary state interference.
He argued that such reform is “even more important given the collective drive to stem the ugly tide of terrorism and sundry security challenges at the local levels.”
The former vice president decried the growing influence of state governments in distorting the processes of enthroning traditional rulers.
“Recent developments in the country have seen a growing tendency of state governments exerting influence in distorting the modalities of enthroning traditional stools,” Abubakar stated.
He acknowledged that while traditional rulership falls under state government purview, these institutions play a crucial role in governance and community stability.
“And thus, traditional institutions must be protected from the arbitrariness of state governments that threaten their stability,” Atiku declared.
Abubakar emphasised the significance of traditional rulers in maintaining peace and order, stating, “When the structure of ascension of traditional rulers is unstable, it will become equally difficult to maintain peace and orderliness in communities.”
The former vice president pointed out that despite the lack of constitutional recognition, traditional institutions perform vital roles in the economic life and security of their domains.
He said “the traditional institutions formed the governance structures before the advent of the colonialists. And they governed well,” and appealed to state governors to respect traditional institutions, stating, “The customs that our traditional rulers represent is the totality of our heritage as a people.”
