The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has described as an imposition the proposal for the Sultan of Sokoto and Ooni of Ife to become permanent co-chairmen of the proposed National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria.

A bill to set up the council, sponsored by Senator Simon Lalong, has passed second reading at the Senate.

Rejecting the proposal, the Middle Belt Forum (MBF), in a statement on Sunday, argued that the country’s traditional rulers should be given free rein to choose their leaders at the proposed council, noting that the federal government cannot impose the two traditional rulers on their colleagues.

In the statement signed by its spokesman, Luka Binniyat, the MBF emphasized that the Sultan is primarily a religious leader, not a secular traditional monarch, adding that the Sultan of Sokoto is widely acknowledged as the spiritual head of all Nigerian Muslims, particularly across the 19 Northern States and the FCT. His spiritual leadership role, they said, is fundamentally religious, not secular.

“Therefore, his institutionalized leadership over a national council of traditional rulers would alienate Christians, traditional worshippers, and other faiths, violating the secular spirit of Nigeria’s Constitution. It would also skew the balance of representation in favour of Islam, thereby promoting religious supremacy under the guise of traditional unity.”

The statement further added: “The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) wishes to categorically express its firm opposition to a contentious clause in the National Council for Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2024, currently before the National Assembly. The Bill, sponsored by Senator Simon Bako Lalong (Plateau South), a respected son of the Middle Belt and the Gwad-Goemai of the Goemai ethnic nation, has passed its second reading as of March 2025 and is now under consideration by the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service.

“At the heart of the controversy lies a deeply troubling clause in the Bill, which proposes that the Sultan of Sokoto and the Ooni of Ife be made permanent co-chairmen of the proposed National Council for Traditional Rulers. While we leave our esteemed partners from the Southern region to determine their position on the inclusion of the Ooni of Ife, the Middle Belt Forum unequivocally rejects, abhors, and condemns the institutionalization of the Sultan of Sokoto as a permanent co-chairman of this proposed council.

“This rejection is anchored on strong historical, cultural, constitutional, and moral grounds, which we now outline in clear terms:
The Sokoto Sultanate is Historically Junior to Middle Belt Monarchies. Historically, the Sokoto Caliphate is a relatively young institution compared to ancient kingdoms and confederacies in the Middle Belt.

“For instance, the Kwararafa Confederacy, which flourished for centuries, predates the Caliphate. It is a historically documented fact that the confederate state of Kwararafa existed from as far back as circa 800s–1700s A.D. The Aku Uka of Wukari, its current spiritual heir, represents a legacy that predates the Sokoto Caliphate’s very existence.

“The Sultan of Sokoto can therefore not supersede the Aku Uka of Wukari in status and prestige to sit over him as Chairman of the Traditional Council created by law.

The Attah of Igala ranks higher in historical and traditional status. The Attah of Igala, whose kingdom flourished well before and after the 14th century, occupies a higher pedestal in terms of history, cultural roots, and legitimacy. The Igala Kingdom never came under the Caliphate’s domain and continues to represent deep-rooted indigenous authority far older and more authentically Nigerian than the Sokoto Sultanate.

The Tor Tiv represents a powerful, independent cultural identity. The Tiv Nation, one of the largest ethnic-linguistic groups in Nigeria, was never conquered by the Sokoto Caliphate. The Tor Tiv stands as the supreme symbol of a proud, resilient people who were acephalous and thrived independently before colonial rule. To ask that the Tor Tiv permanently defer to the Sultan in council matters is a gross distortion of historical facts and a violation of indigenous dignity.

The Nupe kingdom preceded the Sokoto Caliphate. The Nupe kingdom, with a proud lineage dating back to the 15th century, has its own deep-rooted traditional structures. Even though Fulani jihadists eventually imposed Islamic rule in Nupe land post-1835, the Etsu Nupe today still represents an enduring cultural institution that predates the Caliphate. In no logical or historical context can the Caliphate claim seniority or supremacy over Nupe tradition.

“Another alternative is for traditional rulers themselves to democratically choose their chairperson(s) through a transparent, inclusive process that reflects Nigeria’s pluralism. Such a Council must reflect the values of equality, justice, and historical truth.

“The Middle Belt Forum stands firm in its belief that true national cohesion can only be achieved through fairness, mutual respect, and recognition of our rich historical diversities. Any attempt to impose a permanent religious figurehead on a national institution of traditional rulers is a violation of Nigeria’s secular character, cultural heritage, and federal structure. We shall resist it using every lawful and democratic means available to us.”