Isiyaku Ahmed
The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has voiced strong opposition to a controversial clause in the National Council for Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2024, currently under consideration at the National Assembly.
Luka Binniyat, the National spokesperson of the MBF, in a statement on Sunday said the Bill, sponsored by Senator Simon Bako Lalong (Plateau South), a respected Middle Belt son and traditional titleholder, Gwad-Goemai of the Goemai Nation, has already passed its second reading in March 2025 and is now before the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service.
According to the statement, at the center of the controversy is a clause proposing permanent co-chairmanship for the Sultan of Sokoto and the Ooni of Ife in the newly proposed National Council of Traditional Rulers.
The MBF has made it clear that while it respects the right of southern stakeholders to determine their stance on the Ooni of Ife’s role, it unequivocally rejects the elevation of the Sultan of Sokoto to permanent co-chair status.
The detailed statement outlined historical, constitutional, and moral arguments for its opposition, declaring the proposal a grave injustice to traditional institutions in the Middle Belt and a distortion of Nigeria’s diverse heritage.
Historical and Cultural Grounds for Rejection
The MBF argues that many traditional institutions in the Middle Belt precede the Sokoto Caliphate by centuries. Among them:
The Kwararafa Confederacy, with spiritual lineage continuing through the Aku Uka of Wukari, predates the Caliphate and should not be subordinated to it.
The Attah of Igala, ruling a kingdom known to have thrived well before the 14th century, represents one of the oldest surviving traditional institutions in the country.
The Tor Tiv, head of one of the largest ethnolinguistic groups in Nigeria, symbolizes an indigenous authority that remained unconquered by the Sokoto Caliphate.
The Etsu Nupe, custodian of the Nupe Kingdom that dates back to the 15th century, leads a legacy that also existed before Fulani influence in the region.
Sultan’s Role Seen as Religious, Not Traditional
The Forum further maintains that the Sultan of Sokoto’s primary identity is religious, serving as the spiritual leader of Nigerian Muslims, especially in the North.
As such, the MBF argues, placing him in a permanent leadership role within a secular national institution risks alienating non-Muslims and undermines the religious neutrality enshrined in Nigeria’s Constitution.
The MBF also highlights that the Shehu of Borno, leader of an Islamic institution that dates back to the 11th century, long before the Sokoto Caliphate, ranks higher in historical standing.
The Forum leaves it to the Kanuri people to state their own position on the matter.
Allegations of Bias and Injustice
In a strongly worded section of the statement, the MBF criticised the Sultan’s long-standing affiliation with the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN), an organization whose members have been linked to violent herder-farmer conflicts.
They note with dismay the Sultan’s failure to strongly condemn these acts of violence, particularly in the Middle Belt, where thousands have lost their lives or been displaced.
The Forum warns that institutionalizing his leadership in a Council that includes Middle Belt monarchs would be a “grievous insult” to victims of these atrocities.
Rejection of Historical Subjugation
The MBF stressed that the Middle Belt cannot continue to defer to the Sokoto Sultanate, noting that while much of Hausaland fell to the jihadist campaigns of Usman Dan Fodio in the 19th century, the Middle Belt remained largely unconquered and has retained its distinct cultural identity.
They assert that British colonial indirect rule, which placed indigenous groups under Fulani Emirates, created an artificial hierarchy that continues to manifest today in national policies and institutions.
Forum’s Position and Next Steps
The Middle Belt Forum has stated its stance in clear terms:
If the clause is retained in the final version of the Bill and passed into law, Middle Belt traditional rulers will boycott the Council.
They will neither recognize nor participate in any council that gives the Sultan permanent leadership over their monarchs.
The MBF will establish its own autonomous Council of Middle Belt Traditional Rulers, grounded in the values, history, and traditions of their people.
Proposals for a Fairer Council
To preserve national unity and fairness, the Forum recommends:
Making the chairmanship rotational across geopolitical zones or ethnic blocs.
Ensuring leadership of the Council is tenure-based to foster inclusivity and equal representation.
Alternatively, allowing traditional rulers to elect their own chairperson(s) through a democratic, transparent process that respects Nigeria’s pluralism.
Final Word
The Middle Belt Forum concludes its statement with a firm resolve:
“We stand for fairness, equity, and historical truth. Any attempt to impose a permanent religious figurehead on a secular national institution will be resisted by all lawful and democratic means available to us.”
In a time where national cohesion is fragile, the Forum warns that forcing a religious and regionally skewed hierarchy on traditional institutions will not only deepen division but also dishonour the legacies of Nigeria’s indigenous peoples.
