Ancient power: Where age-old tradition defines real politics, and will for decades to come

Traditional governance models in Africa are successfully incorporated into the modern sociopolitical life

The African continent is made up of diverse cultures, traditions, and governance models. This is particularly evident in Nigeria, which is home to over 250 ethnic groups, many of which had their own governance systems long before British colonization. And while in recent decades it has adopted Western structures and institutions, Nigeria has also strengthened its age-old governance models.

Trust of the population

Over the past century, Nigeria has experienced numerous political changes, as it transitioned from a colonial possession to a democratic state. Despite this evolution, the authority of traditional leaders, who have ruled the country since pre-colonial times, remains remarkably strong. Chiefs, kings, emirs, and obas are still actively involved in both domestic and foreign policy matters.

According to a survey by Afrobarometer, 55% of Nigerians consider the opinion of traditional leaders – a sentiment that is shared by both urban and rural respondents. A significant majority values the role of these leaders in resolving disputes and advocating for the interests of their communities, often by collaborating with the central government. And when it comes to selecting a head of state, 48% of voters consider the opinion of traditional rulers.

During the elections, the endorsement of a candidate by traditional leaders can be a decisive factor, as it ensures widespread public support. In fact, over two-thirds of those surveyed believe that the influence of traditional leaders should be expanded.

During the 2019 election campaign, then-President of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari, a Fulani from northern Nigeria and a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) party, sought the backing of traditional leaders. Just two weeks before the general elections, he convened a meeting with the governor and traditional rulers, including the obas of Ekiti state in the southwest of Nigeria. The chairman of the State Council of Traditional Rulers also attended the meeting. Eventually, Buhari (who first came to power from 1983 to 1985 during the military regime and ran for a second term in 2019 as a civilian) won the general elections, receiving overwhelming support in northern states like Borno (91%) and Yobe (89%), and securing 57% of the votes in Ekiti state.

Meanwhile, Atiku Abubakar, who represented the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and was a competitor of Buhari and current Nigerian President Bola Tinubu in the 2019 and 2023 elections, claimed that he was endorsed by the late Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero. In 2023, Abubakar even said that the late emir had prayed for his presidency.

The power of traditions during elections

Nigeria’s electoral system requires the president to be elected by a simple majority. Additionally, a candidate must secure over 25% of the votes in at least two-thirds of the country’s 36 states. This makes state governors and traditional leaders key players in the electoral process.

Support from traditional leaders can significantly influence gubernatorial elections; governors head the executive branch in each state and typically belong to one of the country’s major political parties – either the currently ruling APC or the PDP. The process of the gubernatorial elections is similar to that of the presidential elections.

Within the 36 federal states there are also so-called ‘traditional states’ the number of which can be adjusted at the discretion of the governor. For example, under the administration of Bukar Abba Ibrahim, who served as governor of Yobe state from 1992-93 and again from 1999-2007 as a member of APC, the number of emirates governed by traditional leaders was expanded to 14 emirates. Expanding the powers of traditional leaders tends to enhance their loyalty to local executive authority. Consequently, in Yobe state, the APC party has consistently won the gubernatorial elections in 2015, 2019, and 2023, as well as the presidential elections in 2015 and 2019.

Conflict mediators

According to Nigeria’s 1999 constitution, traditional leaders hold advisory powers and can participate in decision-making processes at both the local and national levels. Their official responsibilities include maintaining peace and security while supporting governmental structures. The country’s cultural differences often serve as a breeding ground for conflict, which is why traditional leaders play a significant role in mediating disputes – both at the community and regional levels.

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In summer 2024, Nigeria saw widespread protests driven by public discontent over low wages, high living costs, and ongoing security issues. In response, the central government reached out to traditional leaders to facilitate dialogue with the populace, including young people. On July 31, the police commissioner for Enugu state held a seminar for traditional leaders, urging them to engage with the community and prevent young people from participating in potentially violent protests.

As Abubakar Shuaibu, the senior special assistant to the Gombe state governor, told RT, traditional leaders are more efficient in resolving conflicts than the formal systems, particularly in northern and southern Nigeria. The Ife-Modakeke crisis between two Yoruba subgroups, which occurred due to the establishment of colonial rule and the fall of the Oyo empire, lasted for more than a century. It entailed a series of violent intercommunal clashes in the southwest of the country.

“The conflict was resolved when the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, paid an unscheduled visit to the Ogunsua of Modakeke and that was the end of the crisis and every legal tussle was dropped. The traditional leaders know how to appeal to the minds,” he said.

The government of each of Nigeria’s 36 states includes a State Traditional Rulers Council. The powers of these traditional leaders are governed by state laws, and within the Council, there is a distinct hierarchy. For instance, in Kaduna state in northern Nigeria, traditional leaders are categorized into three ‘classes’ based on their status, with emirs at the top of the power structure.

Similarly, Ekiti state in the southwest has its own three-tiered system. Over 100 traditional rulers are represented in this state’s council. Additionally, traditional rulers’ councils operate at the regional level, including the Northern Traditional Rulers Council and the Southern Nigeria Traditional Rulers Council.

On a federal level, traditional leadership is represented by the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN). The Council is co-chaired by two representatives, each representing one of Nigeria’s subregions. As of 2024, co-chairing the Council are Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, the Sultan of Sokoto, who patronizes all Muslims in the country and represents the interests of the country’s northern region, and Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ife – the traditional ruler of Nigeria’s predominantly Christian southwestern region.

Conservative values? Not only

Despite the fact that their primary role is to preserve conservative values, traditional rulers take an active part in the life of modern society. In addition to their involvement in religious and cultural events, these leaders leverage their influence to support socially significant health and education initiatives.

For example,  Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar III of Sokoto played a key role in the polio vaccination campaign initiated by the CORE Group Polio Project (CGPP) in Nigeria in 2013. This vaccination effort took place in states like Kaduna, Katsina, Kano, Borno, and Yobe, where the majority of the population is Muslim. Thanks to the Sultan’s advocacy and the support of other religious leaders, healthcare providers were able to shift public perception regarding mandatory vaccinations, emphasizing the importance of medical treatment and alleviating fears associated with it.

By collaborating with local leaders, healthcare workers successfully integrated vaccination into established community traditions. For example, in Yobe State, child vaccinations were conducted during naming ceremonies held on the seventh day after a child’s birth. This practice, which became known as ‘suna vaccination’ (‘suna’ means ‘name’ in Hausa), mirrored religious customs and significantly increased the number of immunized newborns.

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Bankers and chancellors

Traditional leaders in southern Nigeria play a significant role in both the economy and education. For instance, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ife and head of the traditional rulers in the South, serves as a director on the board of Imperial Homes Mortgage Bank Limited, the country’s leading mortgage bank. He also holds a leadership position at Fina Trust Microfinance Bank Limited and owns Inagbe Cocowood Factory-Essential Homes Furniture.

Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, the Obi of Onitsha in Anambra State, is the chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University.

States the British colonized

The political institutions in Nigeria were formed long before European colonization, and each of the three largest ethnic groups – the Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba, and Igbo – maintained relative autonomy. The Niger and Benue rivers naturally divided the country into three regions (north, southwest, and southeast), which fostered their political independence.

Hausa city-states were located in present-day northern Nigeria. The earliest written accounts of these states come from Arab traveler al-Ya’qubi and date back to the 9th century. By the 19th century, the Sokoto Caliphate was established in this region.

Yoruba Kingdoms were located in the southwest. These included the Oyo Empire and the Kingdom of Ife, renowned for its terracotta and bronze artistry. The Kingdom of Benin also emerged during this time; centralized governance appeared there around the 14th century.

In the southeast of Nigeria, the Igbo Confederacies reached their greatest power in the 17th and 18th centuries. The peoples living in the Niger Delta also developed early government structures at that time.

While the peoples of southern Nigeria were caught up in the trans-Atlantic slave trade, those in the north established ties with Middle Eastern communities through trans-Saharan trade. The onset of British colonization and the establishment of the Northern and Southern Protectorates – merged into the single colony of Nigeria in 1914 – further entrenched existing regional differences and forcibly unified them under a single system.

The British did not promote territorial integration; instead, they maintained distinct relationships with each of the three relatively autonomous regions, implementing a policy of indirect rule. This approach leveraged the authority of traditional leaders to serve colonial interests, primarily focused on the extraction of natural resources. As a result, the northern region retained the most autonomy while the south became more susceptible to European influence. This ultimately led to societal fragmentation and conflict, culminating in the Nigerian Civil War of 1967-70.

Traditional rulers today

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Despite the fact that Nigeria embraced Western political frameworks after gaining independence, traditional political institutions have not lost their relevance in the country. Since 1960, both civilian and military authorities have tried to marginalize traditional power structures, but have ultimately failed to do so. In an effort to decrease the influence of traditional rulers, they were stripped of the rights to collect taxes and have their own armed forces.

“For centuries before the advent of British rule, governance in different parts of Nigeria was synonymous with traditional institutions and their ruler, which formed the nucleus of governance. However, colonialism has violently disrupted African cultural traditions. Therefore, the extent to which traditional rulers were involved in the decision-making process at the local level during this period depended on how much influence individual traditional rulers wielded in the eyes of the political actors at this level. In the North, the introduction of the colonial councils did not succeed in taking away the executive powers of the Emirs, who still control local executive functions informally,” Abubakar Shuaibu says.

Shuaibu points out that traditional leaders in Nigeria influence voter behavior and electoral outcomes, as they still maintain a high degree of legitimacy in the eyes of the people. Nevertheless, these processes are not usually disclosed. “The Emirs do not mention their voting sympathies directly, and the followers understand their attitude by their body language. Sometimes the emirs dispatch oral messages to their district heads and ward heads in order to indicate who to vote for.”

Today, traditions are also respected in Nigeria’s lawmaking: The country’s legal system incorporates not only English common law but also traditional law and Sharia law, which is implemented in the northern states. The involvement of traditional leaders in the country’s political landscape remains a defining characteristic of contemporary Nigeria, since their opinion is equally respected by both the people and elected officials.