The South-East Traditional Rulers Council (SETRC) has reaffirmed its position that the chairmanship of the council should rotate to Abia State, with the Chairman of the Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Sir Dr Linus Nto Mbah, assuming the position in line with its constitution.
The monarchs also reiterated their support for rotating the chairmanship of the Southern Nigeria Traditional Rulers Council (SNTRC) among the South-East, South-West and South-South geopolitical zones, rejecting any arrangement that would allow one zone to retain the position permanently.

The resolutions were contained in a communiqué issued after the council’s quarterly delegates meeting held on Friday, October 23, 2026, at the Parliament of Ndi Eze in Owerri, Imo State. Delegates from the five South-East states attended the meeting.
The communiqué was read by the council’s leadership at the JAAC House, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ogurube Layout, Umuahia, Abia State, on Tuesday.

The council reaffirmed its support for the decision reached by the Southern Governors’ Forum in Ogun State in 2025 to establish the Southern Traditional Rulers Council and rotate its leadership among the three southern geopolitical zones for two-year terms.
It consequently rejected any arrangement that would grant permanent chairmanship of the body to a particular zone.

The monarchs also called for the reconstitution of the current leadership of the Southern Traditional Rulers Council to reflect the recognised traditional rulers of member states, in line with the leadership structure adopted by the Southern Governors’ Forum.
On the 2027 general elections, the council expressed concern that the scheduled dates, including January 16 and February 6, would disadvantage the South-East.

It, however, urged residents of the region to make the necessary sacrifices by returning to their respective voter registration areas to participate in the elections in large numbers.
The council also appealed to traditional rulers and community leaders across the region to suspend festivals and ceremonies from January 10 until the conclusion of the elections to enable eligible voters to exercise their civic rights.

On the continued detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who is serving a life sentence, the monarchs expressed concern that previous appeals to the Federal Government for his release had not produced the desired outcome.
They renewed their call for his unconditional release.

The council also commended Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, for hosting its quarterly meeting in Owerri, expressing appreciation to the Chairman and members of the Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers and the people of the state for their hospitality.
It further acknowledged the support and encouragement it had received from governors of other South-East states.

The communiqué was jointly signed by Mbah, who chairs the Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers; Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, the Obi of Onitsha; Eze Imo and Chairman of the Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, Dr E.C. Okeke; Chairman of the Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers, Igwe Samuel Asadu; Chairman of the Ebonyi State Council of Traditional Rulers, HRM Charles Mkpuma; Chairman of the Anambra State Council of Traditional Rulers, Igwe Chidubem Iweka; and the council’s coordinator, Igwe Ambassador Dr Lawrence Agupuzu.