Faultfinders scanning South-East traditional rulers

• Published date: 22 January 2023
• Publication title: Nigeria - The Nation

It is season of politics as politicians' crisscross the country, canvassing for votes and wooing electorates including traditional rulers who are the custodians of the people's culture and tradition. Aristotle in his 'Politics' posited that man by nature is a political animal. Do I hear you say: I'm apolitical! But you perform your civic responsibility of electing officers even at your family and village meetings. By and large, we are all political animals. So, the traditional rulers are also political animals; but as natural rulers and fathers to all, they are expected to exercise restraint in partisanship. As the political activities gain traction, faultfinders armed with virtual fault locators (VFL), to scan every statement and actions of politicians are having field day. These faultfinders follow political events solely to find faults in political statements and actions. They are, therefore, beaming their searchlight or VFL on South-East traditional rulers' role in partisan politics. Some say, traditional rulers should avoid partisan politics, while others criticize politicians who fail to pay courtesy visits to traditional rulers.

On December 15, the PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar met with the Anambra State traditional council at the government house in Awka, the state capital. The meeting was also attended by Nnaemeka Achebe, the Obi of Onitsha. However, after photographs of the meeting surfaced on social media platforms, there was backlash over the venue of the meeting. Some persons insisted it should have held at the palace of the Obi of Onitsha, considering that Abubakar had visited several other monarchs at their palaces. Reacting to the development in a statement, the Anambra State Traditional Council said the meeting point was to avoid 'horrendous' logistics.

A look at the manifesto of Peter Obi, the Presidential candidate of Labour Party shows Obi flaunting his pictures with notable traditional rulers from South-West, Northern Nigeria and South-South, but none from Igbo land. Commentators feel Obi has no regards for the traditional rulers of South-East and therefore scorns the traditional institutions in Igbo land.

On 12th January 2023, a day after the visit of APC Presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu to Enugu State, the faultfinders' news screamed: 'How Tinubu insulted Enugu Traditional Rulers, snubs them after waiting for 6 hours.' The news continued - stranded and embarrassed, Enugu Traditional Rulers, led by the state...