Fulani Community Rejects New Traditional Institutions In Bauchi

The Fulani community of Bauchi State, under the unified banner of Daddo Pulaku and all affiliated Fulani cultural and developmental associations, has urged Governor Bala Mohammed administration not to place any Fulani individual, group, or Fulani community under any newly created traditional institution without their informed consent and voluntary allegiance.

In a press conference held yesterday at the NUJ Secretariat, Bauchi, representatives of the Fulani community, speaking on behalf of elders, traditional title holders, women, youth, scholars, and professionals across the state’s 20 local government areas, expressed strong opposition to the proposed creation of additional emirates, chiefdoms, and districts in the state.

Addressing journalists on behalf of the community, Muhammad Aminu Tukur, categorically rejects being subjected to any newly created emirate or chiefdom outside of the six existing emirates; Bauchi, Katagum, Misau, Ningi, Jama’are, and Dass.

“We have taken this position after wide consultations among Fulani elders, traditional title holders, women, youth, scholars, professionals, and community leaders across all 20 Local Government Areas, is issued in the spirit of dialogue, peace, unity, and fidelity to the constitutional values of justice and inclusivity,” Tukur said.

Aminu emphasised that the Fulfie community reaffirmed their unshakable respect and reverence for the existing traditional institutions, which he described as symbols of historical continuity and cultural harmony in the state.

He added that the six existing Emirates have played an instrumental role in preserving societal cohesion and serving as a stabilizing force across diverse ethnic and religious groups.

“The Fulani community has been an integral part of these institutions since their inception, contributing to their evolution through loyalty, leadership, and stewardship,” he noted.

While acknowledging that communities have the right to seek traditional representation, the Fulani leaders warned that the current proposal for new Chiefdoms and Emirates seems to be driven by ethnic segmentation rather than historical legitimacy or administrative necessity.

“We believe this position is both a constitutional right and a cultural imperative. Subjecting us to newly carved structures without our consent undermines the principle of free association, disrupts longstanding communal relationships, and could lead to avoidable tension,” Tukur added.

The Fulani community warned of dangerous precedents in other states such as Plateau, Kaduna, and Taraba, where the politicisation and ethnicisation of traditional institutions have led to deep societal divisions, intercommunal clashes, and lasting grievances.

“Bauchi has long been known for its peace and interethnic harmony. We must not go down the path of division,” he cautioned.

Muhammad Tukur added that the Fulani community is not a peripheral group in Bauchi State. “We are farmers, herders, scholars, security providers, traders, civil servants, and traditional rulers,” he said.

He added that Fulani’s economic contributions, especially in livestock production, agricultural development, and inter-regional trade, are pillars of the state’s economy.

“Fulani settlements have historically served as stabilising rural outposts, ensuring food security and promoting peaceful relations across ethnic lines,” he noted.

“Our communities have always responded to calls for peacebuilding, vaccination campaigns, education enrolment drives, and democratic participation. We are not secessionists. We are contributors. All we ask is fairness and dignity in representation,” they added.

The Fulani leaders also urged the government to redirect scarce resources toward urgent developmental needs in the areas of Rural education, Primary healthcare services (especially maternal and child health), Livelihood support and agricultural extension services, and rural road infrastructure to ease the movement of goods and people.

“Traditional institution expansion, especially when not broadly demanded or inclusive, should not take precedence over these critical needs,” he said.

Speaking specifically on the proposed Zaar Chiefdom, Aminu Tukur clarified that the Fulani community harbours no hostility toward the aspirations of the Sayawa people.

“As fellow citizens and neighbours with whom we have shared space and history, we recognize their right, within the boundaries of law and peaceful engagement, to seek representation that reflects their identity and heritage,” he said.

However, he maintained that as a distinct ethnic and cultural group, it cannot be placed under a Chiefdom that is “ethnically exclusive and not reflective of our heritage.”

“The proposed Zaar Chiefdom, as currently conceived, is deeply ethnic in orientation and does not reflect the inclusive traditional structure that Fulani communities have historically subscribed to.

“We therefore respectfully decline to be subjects under such a chiefdom, not out of defiance, but in preservation of our cultural integrity, historical alignment, and the right to choose our traditional affiliation freely and without coercion,” he noted.

The Fulani associations also urged the Bauchi State government to prioritise developmental needs over expansion of traditional institutions.

They said, “Your Excellency, the Fulani of Bauchi State are peace-loving citizens who believe in dialogue and justice. We are deeply embedded in the historical foundations of the state and have consistently shown loyalty to every administration.”