The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) and the Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) have strongly rejected a clause in the National Council for Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2024, which proposes to name the Sultan of Sokoto and the Ooni of Ife as permanent co-chairmen of the council.

The bill, sponsored by Senator Simon Bako Lalong (Plateau South), has passed its second reading and is currently before the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service.

In a statement signed by Luka Binniyat, National Publicity Secretary of the Middle Belt Forum, the group condemned what it called “an attempt to impose a permanent religious figurehead on a national institution.” It argued that such a move undermines Nigeria’s secular constitution, its cultural pluralism, and federal balance.

According to the MBF, true national cohesion can only be achieved through fairness, mutual respect, and a recognition of the country’s diverse historical legacies. “We shall resist this clause using every lawful and democratic means available to us,” the statement read.

Binniyat stated that the Sokoto Caliphate is historically junior to many traditional monarchies in the Middle Belt. He cited examples such as: The Kwararafa Confederacy, dating back to the 800s, with the Aku Uka of Wukari as its spiritual heir; The Attah of Igala, whose kingdom predates the 14th century and was never part of the caliphate’s domain; The Tor Tiv, representing the Tiv Nation—one of Nigeria’s largest ethnic groups—who were never conquered by the Caliphate The Nupe Kingdom, established in the 15th century, long before the Sokoto Caliphate was founded in 1804.

“These institutions hold deeper indigenous roots and should not be made subordinate to the Sultan,” Binniyat argued.

He further noted that the Sultan is not a secular monarch, but primarily a religious leader—recognized as the spiritual head of all Nigerian Muslims, particularly across the 19 northern states and the FCT. “Institutionalizing his leadership over a national council of traditional rulers alienates Christians, traditionalists, and adherents of other faiths,” he said.

The MBF warned that if the bill is passed with the current clause intact and signed into law by the President, traditional rulers from the Middle Belt would boycott the council entirely.

“We will mobilize our people and traditional rulers to establish an autonomous Middle Belt Traditional Council that reflects our historical and cultural values,” the group declared.

In solidarity, the Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) also denounced the bill. After an emergency National Working Committee (NWC) meeting held in Enugu on July 28, 2025, the group described the bill as “ethno-political injustice codified into legislation.”

OYC National President, Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, said the exclusion of other ethnic monarchs—particularly Igbo traditional rulers—was a betrayal of Nigeria’s federal character and cultural diversity.

He emphasized that Igbo traditional institutions are among the oldest in Africa, citing the Obi of Onitsha, the Eze Nri, and other revered royal houses in the South-East.

“The deliberate exclusion of these ancient institutions from the council is a direct attack on Igbo heritage and identity,” the group said. “It is an affront to federalism, equity, and historical truth.”

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