Former President Olusegun Obasanjo expressed his dissatisfaction with the selection processes governing traditional rulers, asserting that individuals of criminal disposition, including drug addicts, vagabonds, bandits, and kidnappers, have infiltrated royal institutions throughout the country.
According to the former president, the rapid increase in the number of traditional rulers, many without the necessary training and moral standing, has caused a deterioration of traditional institutions nationwide.
As detailed in his recently launched book, “Nigeria: Past and Future,” Obasanjo expressed regret over the disappearance of the traditional training and apprenticeship system that historically upheld the dignity of royal offices.
He argued that this oversight has significantly worsened Nigeria’s socio-political challenges.
He said, “Today, there are criminals, drug addicts, vagabonds, bandits and kidnappers as so-called traditional rulers.”
He noted that instead of being custodians of culture and justice, some traditional rulers have engaged in disgraceful acts that further damage the country’s fragile system.
He cited the example of a monarch involved in electoral malpractice.
“This is a great pity, and it has greatly contributed to the problems of Nigeria by traditional rulers. How do we account for a traditional ruler snatching a ballot box at an election polling station and running away with it?” he queried.
Reflecting on the past, Obasanjo pointed to the colonial and early post-independence periods as times when traditional rulers enjoyed significant honor and respect, contrasting it with the current decline in those standards.
“The class of traditional rulers with their distinction, honour and dignity, as we knew them in the colonial days and early post-independence days, has been diluted and polluted.”
While calling for urgent reforms, the former president stressed the need to restore traditional leadership’s lost dignity and value in Nigeria.
He passionately argued that traditional rulers possess untapped potential to drive national development, a potential tragically squandered when they become a burden.
“That dignity, aura and respect should be brought back and traditional rulers should be an asset to Nigeria’s development and greatness and not a liability,” he declared.
He issued a clarion call for a moral cleansing among traditional rulers, especially those who carry the weight of history.
Obasanjo insisted that, if their power is properly aligned, they could be the architects of Nigeria’s future.
“There is a need for moral re-armament among the traditional rulers—the ancient and historic ones. And they can and should make meaningful contributions to the Nigeria of our dreams that will serve the purpose and interest of all”.
He asserted that traditional leaders must rise above regional and ethnic divisions and act as unifying forces, promoting harmony and understanding.
Also stating that by fostering dialogue and collaboration, they can help build a more inclusive and prosperous Nigeria for all.