• Uzodimma pledges to champion National Assembly push
• No govt can thrive without support of traditional institutions, says Sanwo-Olu
• Sultan, Ooni urge unity, reject disintegration agenda
As debates over governance reform intensify, Nigeria’s political and traditional leaders met in Lagos State yesterday in a rare show of unity, seeking to formally enshrine the role of monarchs in the nation’s constitutional framework.
Governors Hope Uzodimma of Imo State and Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State led the renewed call for constitutional recognition of Nigeria’s traditional institutions, describing the demand as both legitimate and long overdue.
They spoke at the opening of a two-day meeting of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN) in Lagos State, which drew leading monarchs and political figures from across the federation to discuss the future of the monarchy in governance.
Uzodimma, while declaring the meeting open on behalf of President Bola Tinubu, said the plea for legal recognition was not a cry for privilege, but a call for clarity and protection of a timeless institution.
He described the absence of a constitutional role for traditional rulers as “a gap that must now be filled. The Imo State Governor pledged to stand firmly with the monarchs should the issue come before the National Assembly.
He, therefore, urged the royal fathers to work closely with the President, the National Assembly, and the Nigerian Governors’ Forum to advance the constitutional reform, while also preserving their neutrality and public trust.
Sanwo-Olu, who was the host of the event, said the gathering offered a unique opportunity to formalise the role of traditional rulers within the national governance structure, not for prestige, but for peacekeeping and community development. He said that no government could thrive without the support of traditional institutions.
In his opening remark, Chairman of the NCTRN, the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, expressed optimism that the renewed agitation for constitutional recognition would succeed this time.
Also, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, stressed that the traditional institution remains the moral foundation for peace, order, and progress.
“Our traditional rulers have always played a stabilising role. If we must build a prosperous and united Nigeria, we must strengthen and not sideline the institution,” Ooni said.
