In a recent post on his official X page on Tuesday, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar expressed concern over the growing trend of state governments interfering with the traditional institutions of enthroning monarchs.
News About Nigeria reports that he emphasised the importance of protecting these institutions from arbitrary state government actions that threaten their stability.
Atiku acknowledged that while the constitution does not currently recognise traditional institutions, they play a significant role in maintaining peace, security, and economic development in their domains.
He noted that traditional institutions predated colonialism and governed effectively, making them worth preserving.
The former Vice President advocated for constitutional reform to recognise traditional institutions and define their responsibilities.
He said he believed this reform was crucial in the fight against terrorism and security challenges at the local level.
Atiku also urged state governors to respect traditional institutions and the customs they represent, which are essential to Nigeria’s heritage.
The tweet reads: “Recent developments in the country has seen a growing tendency of state governments exerting influence in distorting the modalities of enthroning traditional stools.
“It is a reality that stares us in the face from every corner of the country.
“While it is understandable that the institutions of traditional rulership is in the exclusive purview of the state government, although through the local government authorities, it must be established that traditional institutions constitute a component of our governance structure.
“And thus, traditional institutions must be protected from the arbitrariness of state governments that threaten their stability.
“When the structure of ascension of traditional rulers is unstable, it will become equally difficult to maintain peace and orderliness in communities.
“Although our constitution, in its current format, does not ascribe any recognition to traditional institutions, yet our experiences show clearly that they perform enormous roles in the economic life of their domains, as well as maintenance of peace and security in communities.
“I wish to remind that the traditional institutions formed the governance structures before the advent of the colonialists. And they governed well. Consequently, they are institutions we must protect and preserve and not destroy.
“It is, therefore, on this basis that I lean towards the advocacy that calls for constitutional reform that will not just recognize traditional institutions in our body of laws but also define the responsibilities of their offices.
“This reform is even more important in view of the collective drive to stem the ugly tide of terrorism and sundry security challenges at the local levels.
“In conclusion, I must also appeal to state governors to accord the necessary respect to the offices of traditional institutions. The customs that our traditional rulers represent is the totality of our heritage as a people. -AA”
