Northern Princes Back Sultan As Co-Chair Of Traditional Rulers’ Council

A coalition of princes from royal families in Northern Nigeria, under the edges of the In Kaji Tambura Foundation, has declared support to make the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, the Permanent Co-Chairman of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN).

LEADERSHIP reports that there have been discordant voices surrounding the proposed permanent co-chairmen status for the Sultan and the Ooni of Ife on the national traditional rulers’ council.

In a statement issued in Gombe on Wednesday, the group’s Secretary, Prince Mahmood Aminu Adamu, dismissed the opposition to the Sultan’s nomination by the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) as “weak and inconsistent with the principles of national unity.”

Adamu argued that the Sultan presides over the largest traditional authority in Northern Nigeria, with all emirs in the region under his spiritual and cultural leadership.

He commended Sultan Abubakar’s legacy of neutrality, peace-building, and inclusive leadership.

They described him as a unifying figure who has worked tirelessly to promote interfaith dialogue and national cohesion.

It further noted the Sultan’s record of service, intellectual engagement with national issues, calm disposition during crises, and ability to bring people together across faiths and ethnicities, making him not only suitable but necessary for the stability and credibility of the Council.

The group called on the National Assembly, the Presidency, and the Nigerian public to back the nomination, saying it would strengthen traditional institutions and foster unity among traditional rulers nationwide.