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As has been argued elsewhere, traditional government is incongruous with a republican political system.
The search for a role for traditional rulers in the governance of Nigeria has been elusive, despite promises by each successive government – civil and military – to carve out a role for them in the Constitution. To this end, the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida established a political office with the task of, among other things, “reviewing the political history of Nigeria and identifying the fundamental problems that have led to our failure in the past and suggesting ways to resolve and address these problems.”
The Political Bureau, chaired by SJ Cookey, included some eminent academics as members.
It is ironic that traditional rulers, who held exclusive powers in their respective kingdoms before the intrusion of British colonial rule, are now demanding a role in post-colonial Nigeria. Even under British rule, their role was significantly diminished compared to that of their imperious past. They found themselves as instruments of the British system of indirect rule. Their “subjects”, the anti-colonial nationalists, gradually began to doubt the relevance of their role.
As noted by Obafemi Awolowo: “There is a mutual distrust bordering on antagonism between the educated few and the leaders in Nigeria. The latter fear that the former want to oust them from their privileged positions.” This feeling of “mutual distrust” continues to underline the relationships between traditional rulers and Nigerian political leaders. Even when they were given a role in the various houses of leaders of their respective regions in the period 1954-January 1966, they were at the mercy of politicians who decided when and how to dispose of them as dictated by political expediency. This trend continued in the Fourth Republic.
The Political Bureau has recognized the importance of traditional governance in Nigeria’s political system, a view accepted by the military government of Ibrahim Babangida,
But he proposed contrasting options with respect to the traditional government with which we must deal. The Political Bureau presented the following options: i. “total abolition of the institution”: ii “co-optation in government”; iii “democratization to conform to the modern governance process”; iv “maintenance of the status quo”; ev “people’s determination of their relevance and future”.
The Political Bureau was of the view that “traditional rulers should have no specific role to play in governance beyond the local government level, where they have relevance”. The Political Bureau “further agreed that it is a misnomer, considering the scope and character of the contemporary Nigerian state, to call them traditional ‘rulers’”.
Therefore, the Political Bureau stated that “it will not make sense to install people whose primary qualifications are attributed to status into the political system at a time when people are demanding a truly democratic political system.”
Although the Political Bureau recommends that “traditional rulers should have no specific role to play in government beyond the local government level, where they have relevance,” the concluding section of its recommendations is more telling when it states: “They possess no special qualities that enable them to be used to enrich the political system or instill moral rectitude in public life.”
This was a very serious indictment of traditional rulers. To put it bluntly, according to the Political Bureau, traditional rulers are of no use to Nigeria’s political system. What are the implications of “co-optation in government”? How to “democratize” traditional rulers to make them “conform to the modern governance process”? What processes exist for “the people” to determine the “relevance and future” of traditional rulers? These vital gaps in the work of the Political Bureau must be addressed by Nigerians as they contemplate a role for their traditional rulers.
On 10 September 2026, the Urhobo Traditional Rulers Forum (Ukoko R’Ivie R’Urhobo) adopted Delta State Governor, Rt Hon Sheriff Francis Oborevwori “as the sole candidate of the Urhobo nation for the 2027 governorship election”. If the “monarchs remained strictly apolitical”, as stated by HRM Dr. Monday Obukohwo Whiskey, Udurhie I, Ovie of the Idjerhe Kingdom and spokesperson of the Ukoko R’Ivie R’Urhobo, their support of “The Honorable Sheriff Francis Oborevwori, as the sole candidate of the Urhobo nation for the 2027 governorship election” and their subsequent decree that “no other Urhobo aspirants to the governorship will or will receive royal blessings from the traditional rulers of Urhobo land” is a shameless mockery of the concept of apolitical.
In his essay titled “If Nigeria is not divided, we will never have any sense in the North”, Mohammed Bello Doka said this about traditional rulers. “Traditional rulers are glorified cultural dancers with big turbans and zero real authority.” He continued: “Traditional rulers… though powerless, are driven by greed. They have sold their titles, respect for money and their influence over government appointments. The common man no longer bows before them. They have lost respect because they never earned it through service.” This characterization of traditional rulers can be said to apply to scores of traditional rulers in Southern Nigeria, including Delta State.
In January 2026, the Rt Hon Governor Francis Oborevwori gifted “60 brand new Prados and five Land Cruisers” to traditional rulers of Delta State. He referred to traditional rulers as “instruments of service”, stressing that traditional rulers are “vital intermediaries between the government and the grassroots people”. There is conceptual congruence between Governor Oborevwori’s classification of traditional rulers as “instruments of service” and their status as instruments of the British indirect system of rule
In appreciation of the gifts, the Chairman of the Delta and Orodje State Council of Traditional Rulers of Okpe Kingdom, HRM Orhue l, “assured the governor of the unwavering support of the traditional institution to his administration”.
In highlighting the “guarantee” of the “unwavering support” of traditional rulers to Governor Oborevwori, as stated by HRM Orhue l, the “service tools” responded accordingly during their meeting at the Ovie Palace of Uvwie Kingdom. Is there a correlation between the “gifts of 65 brand new SUVs to traditional rulers” in January 2026 and the declaration of the Urhobo Kings in September 2026? Is this a simple coincidence or a quid pro quo?
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State recently “advised traditional rulers to stay away from politics and embrace all political actors without prejudice, warning that any of them found engaging in politics would be treated as politicians.”
This warning applies to traditional rulers across Nigeria, including Delta State.
Therefore, Urhobo traditional rulers are urged to revoke their ill-advised “declaration” in order to protect the sanctity of their respective thrones. This “declaration” has brought grave discredit to their respective thrones and dishonor to their human resource management titles. Otherwise, they should be ready to be “treated like politicians” with all the consequences related to election campaigns.
Of particular concern to the Okpe Union, the mouthpiece of the Okpe Nation, is the role of our revered Orodje of Okpe Kingdom, HRM Orhue l, in the gathering of Urhobo Traditional Rulers. In doing so, he has erroneously subsumed the Okpe ethnicity under the Urhobo denomination, which is diametrically opposed to historical facts and his own stated position that affirms the Okpe as a distinct ethnic nationality. It is instructive to note Okpe Kingdom’s Orodje’s keynote speech at the 3rd General Assembly of the Okpe Union of North America, where he succinctly stated:
“Okpe is a unique ethnic nationality. It has distinctive roots in history, tradition, culture, customs and ancient language.”
He added: “Our people have their roots in migration from the Bini Kingdom. This historical experience is similar to that of most other ethnic nationalities of the Western Niger Delta. Of all these nationalities, however, the history, language, tradition and culture of the Okpe are closest to those of the Bini who are part of the Edo linguistic group.”
Furthermore, a study by Udogun Okpe, the supreme body for traditional administration of Okpe Kingdom, emphatically states that “Okpe is undoubtedly known to be a distinct and autonomous Kingdom, an ethnic entity since its origins. The people and their language are distinct and named after their progenitor, Okpe, whose four sons founded the present Okpe Kingdom.”
During a welcome reception to the First Lady, Senator Remi Tinubu in Asaba, Delta State in late March 2025, as the Chairman of the Delta State Council of Traditional Rulers, HRM Orhue l, the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom, declared that “in 2027, we Deltans will vote for President Tinubu”. This was not the harbinger of political misadventures on the part of the traditional rulers of Delta State. During the campaign for the 2023 national elections, for example, the renegade Okpe Union faction of Orodje of Okpe Kingdom urged Okpe citizens to vote for “all” Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates. This Palace interference in partisan politics was designed to destroy the chances of other OKPE citizens in rival political parties: for example, Okakuro Ede Dafinone (of the All Progressives Congress –APC) and Barr. Ben Etanabene (of the Labor Party – LP), who won the elections to the Senate and the House of Representatives respectively, despite the Palace intrusion.
A throne that campaigns for any political party or candidate automatically betrays the rest of the citizens of that given nationality. By doing so, the traditional ruler transforms his palace into a campaign headquarters for the aforementioned political party or candidate, a transformation that vitiates the sanctity of the throne. This is detrimental to the reputation of the throne as the traditional ruler becomes a messenger, an errand boy of the government. Prestige is lost and the kingdom’s reputation is compromised.
No traditional ruler, including our Orodje of Okpe Kingdom, is capable of assuring political parties how Deltans and Okpe citizens will vote in any election. We are in a democratic political system and not in an absolute dictatorial or monarchical system. Traditional rulers must stay out of politics or divest themselves of their kingship and join the political parties of their choice. It is dishonest of them to hide behind the sanctuary of their palaces and engage in partisan politics under the dubious pretense of being “apolitical.” Deltans, including OKPE citizens, will vote according to conscience and discard the diktats of traditional rulers. We call on OKPE citizens to vote for the candidates of their choice as they did in 2023. The will of the people must prevail over the dictatorial decree of any traditional ruler.
Prof. O. Igho Natufe, President General of OKPE Union (Worldwide), writes from Lagos
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