Traditional Council: No Plans To Make Sultan, Ooni Permanent Co – Chairmen, Says Etsu Nupe

The chairman of the coordinating Committee of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria and Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, has described as unfounded the claim that the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar and the Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, were recommended as permanent co-chairmen of the council in the constitutional review Memorandum.

Amid speculation in some quarters, Etsu Nupe, in a statement yesterday, said it was not true, as he posited that the constitution review committee of the National Assembly did not receive such a recommendation in the Memorandum submitted by the council.

He said, “The Memorandum submitted to the two chambers of the National Assembly by the National Council for the reinstatement of the roles of traditional rulers did not contain such clauses.”

He said the Memorandum only recommended that the role of traditional rulers should be restored in the reviewed constitution.

The Coordinating Committee Chairman of the council said neither the council’s recommendation nor the bill sponsored by Senator Simon Lalong suggested such an “obnoxious clause.”

Etsu Abubakar said such news should be treated as “fake news” and that the public should disregard it as unfounded.

He said the Traditional Rulers wondered about the source of such news and therefore advised the public to be guided accordingly.