Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has advocated for constitutional reform that will not just recognise traditional institutions in our body of laws but also define the responsibilities of their offices.
The PDP flag bearer in the 2023 Presidential Election said such reform has become even more important in view of the collective drive to stem the ugly tide of terrorism and sundry security challenges at the local levels.
Abubakar, who was reacting to the ongoing crises in Kano over the reinstatement of Lamido Sanusi 11, as the Emir of Kano, under a new law unifying the traditional office, which was split into four, by former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.
Read also: Cross River Assembly seeks termination of tenure of Chairman Traditional Rulers Council
The Kano State governor, Abba Yusuf, had reinstated Lamido Sanusi, who was deposed by the last administration, headed by Abdullahi Ganduje.
Yusuf had signed the bill repealing the State Emirate Council Law 2019 that gave the state five emirate councils after the state House of Assembly passed the bill for the dissolution of their dissolution
Atiku Abubakar said the development has seen a growing tendency of state governments to exert 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”
The PDP chieftain noted that “While it is understandable that the institution of traditional rulership is in the exclusive purview of the state government, they must remember that the institution predates the modern governance structures
“It must be established that traditional institutions constitute a component of our governance structure.
Read also: Sanusi vs Bayero: Why do governors demean traditional rulers in Nigeria?
He, therefore, called on the state governments to protect the traditional institutions
“The traditional institutions must be protected from the arbitrariness of state governments that threaten their stability,” he said.
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