Abasi People Foundation Rejects Southern Traditional Rulers Council, Seeks Refress of Historical Marginalisation

By: Michael Mike

The Abasi People Foundation (APF) has forcefully rejected the proposed Southern Nigeria Traditional Rulers Council, describing the initiative as historically insensitive, politically exclusionary, and structurally flawed.

In a detailed statement issued in Abuja at the weekend and signed by its President, Dr. Victor Udo, the Foundation not only denounced the proposed council but also declared unambiguous solidarity with Igbo traditional rulers under the leadership of Lawrence Agubuzu, Eze Ogbunechendo of Ezema Olo Kingdom in Enugu State.

The APF argued that any attempt to establish a southern regional traditional body without full democratic consultation and equal representation of indigenous nationalities risks repeating historical patterns of marginalisation that have shaped Nigeria’s political evolution since colonial rule.

The Foundation anchored its opposition in what it described as the “unresolved contradictions” of Nigeria’s 1914 amalgamation, when the British colonial administration merged the Northern and Southern Protectorates into a single political entity. According to APF, the colonial arrangement prioritised administrative convenience over ethnic autonomy, laying the groundwork for structural imbalances that continue to influence governance and representation.

The group further noted that post-independence constitutional experiments — from the regional structure of the First Republic to the centralized federal system that emerged after military rule — have struggled to equitably accommodate Nigeria’s complex mosaic of ethnic nationalities.

“The architecture of amalgamation created artificial divisions and entrenched central dominance,” the statement said. “More than a century later, the same logic must not be allowed to redefine southern identity through exclusionary frameworks.”

The APF however emphasized that the Abasi people — comprising the Ibibio, Annang, Oro, Efik, Obolo, Eket, Ekoi and related communities — represent a historically rooted nationality with a shared cultural heritage and distinct identity within Nigeria’s southern corridor.

It insisted that no regional traditional council can claim legitimacy if it sidelines indigenous populations or imposes hierarchical arrangements where equality should prevail.

“Unity cannot be legislated through selective inclusion,” the Foundation declared. “Any structure that reproduces historical marginalization under the guise of regional integration undermines its own moral and civic authority.”

The group demanded the immediate suspension of any process toward establishing the Southern Nigeria Traditional Rulers Council unless it guarantees full democratic participation and equal representation for both the Abasi and Igbo nationalities.

Beyond the immediate controversy, the APF called for a renewed national dialogue on Nigeria’s political future, advocating a transition toward a confederal system in which ethnic nationalities can exercise greater autonomy while cooperating within a shared sovereign framework.

According to the Foundation, Nigeria’s long-term stability depends on recognizing all its constituent peoples — including Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, Abasian, Kanuri, Ijaw, Fulani, Nupe, Jukun, Tiv, Bini and others — as co-equal stakeholders in governance.

Political analysts say the Foundation’s intervention highlights deeper conversations underway across the country about federal restructuring, regional identity, and the evolving role of traditional institutions in modern governance.

APF warned in the statement that national cohesion cannot be built on exclusion.

“Justice demands representation, peace requires equality, and development begins with dignity,” the group said, signaling that debates over regional structures are likely to intensify as broader constitutional questions resurface on the national stage.

Abasi People Foundation Rejects Southern Traditional Rulers Council, Seeks Refress of Historical Marginalisation