Nigeria will cease to exist without traditional rulers — Alaafin

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi, Thursday said Nigeria will cease to exist if the traditional rulers are taken away from Nigeria.

He recalled how he and the late Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, fought the federal government to ensure that traditional rulers in the country enjoyed five per cent allocation from every local government.

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The first class monarch made the revelation when he played host to the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado-Bayero, in the ancient town of Oyo.

The Alaafin said: “I have written a lot about the roles of traditional rulers and why the traditional people must be allowed to convene for the greater good of this country.

“I am happy with your late father; we fought a battle and won the five per cent allocation that every local government must set aside for traditional rulers from its allocation  from the federal government.

“I will continue to do my best to fight for the institution of traditional rulers. We are the bedrock of the society. If you take away traditional rulers from Nigeria, there will be no Nigeria again.”

The Alaafin expressed reservations that the traditional rulers seemed not to understand how Nigeria was being run again.

He also referred to what the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, said recently that insurgents had been the ones dictating happenings in many communities in the North East.

Earlier in his address, the Emir of Kano said: “It is an honour to visit the Alaafin as we visit the Southwest for the second time since ascending the position of our forefathers.

“We have come to Oyo to continue a very ancient relationship that was cultivated and nurtured by my late father. We have come to Oyo to seek the wisdom and blessings of your majesty. We have come to Oyo to demonstrate to our people that we are all tied by thread of common destiny.”