PDP BoT chair: Politics destroying traditional institutions

PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman Senator Walid Jibrin yesterday said politics is ruining the highly respected traditional institutions in the country. In a statement issued in Kaduna, Senator Jibrin said the dethronement and banishing of the first class emir within two hours by the governor of Kano State to faraway Nasarawa State was very […]

PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman Senator Walid Jibrin yesterday said politics is ruining the highly respected traditional institutions in the country.

In a statement issued in Kaduna, Senator Jibrin said the dethronement and banishing of the first class emir within two hours by the governor of Kano State to faraway Nasarawa State was very disturbing.

He called on traditional title holders to participate in politics to protect the institution.

The P‎DP chieftain said the colonial masters couldn’t have succeeded in ruling and managing Nigeria without the full involvement of traditional rulers.

“It’s very unfortunate that our current traditional rulers are only used as fire brigade to solve conflicts. As a traditional title ‎holder, my primary aim of joining politics is to protect the integrity of the traditional institutions.

“In Nigeria, many governors involve traditional title holders to assist them in running the government and past governments could not have succeeded without bringing in traditional title holders to assist them in running their government,” he said.

Senator Jibrin called on the Senate to amend the 1999 Constitution to provide stronger procedures for removing “emirs, chiefs, igwes, obas” and give them official roles.

He said the people of Kano State and family of Sanusi must demand an apology because the emir is a highly respected traditional ruler and shouldn’t be treated like a rat being pursued.