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Background to the Demise of Traditional Political Authority in Nigeria Ibadan Journal of Peace & Development Vols.5 & 6 May 2015 Ibadan Journal of Peace & Development Vols. 5 & 6 May 2015 pp. 70-84 Background to the Demise of Traditional Political Authority in Nigeria Isaac Olawale Albert Introduction morgue) but rather that the system is anemic Titles are granted, but it's your behavior that and might eventually die unless there is a wins you respect (Kouzes and Posner 1997:12). reform somewhere. The paper focused on the three core factors responsible for the A major factor of underdevelopment of problem: colonialism of the 1850s to 1966, Nigeria today is the problem of leadership. the partisan politics of the 1960s and military As the country searches for altruistic rule of 1966 to 1999. leadership types, some folks call attention to The problem started with the British the role that the traditional political colonialism starting from the 1850s when institutions could play at making things look Lagos was occupied. The British established better. But these institutions are today a their hegemony by subordinating the natural shadow of their former selves and it appears rulers to their own colonial authority. things are getting worse. Only few people However, these traditional rulers were the hub today have respect for traditional rulers. Some around which the colonial system revolved. even question their relevance under the They were the sole Native Authorities in their modern democratic system practiced by Districts, which consisted of many a major Nigeria. This paper tries to unearth some of town and a number of subordinate towns and the ictors responsible for this increasing villages. The paramount ruler was responsible demise of traditional political authority in for the collection of taxes, execution of some Nigeria. The word "demise" simply means public works and granting of concessions for "death" or "collapse" of something. But the felling of timbers. All important matters in impression we seek to create in this paper is the District were brought to his notice. The not to demonstrate that the traditional powers of these traditional rulers over their political system in Nigeria is completely dead subjects were increased in terms of neutralising (and therefore already consigned to the some of the traditional checks and balances University oflbadan, Ibadan, Nigeria, Professor, Institute for Peace and Strategic Studies, Ibadan Journal of Peace & Development Page | 70 Ibadan Journal of Peace & Development Vols.5 & 6 May 2015 Background to the Demise of Traditional Political Authority in Nigeria 71 to the exercise of their authority. In Oyo, the most current, until the 1979 for example, the British increased the power Constitution reduced us again to "Chiefs", of the Alafin by eliminating the oversight without giving us a word for those on whom traditional rulers confer chieftaincy titles functions of the Oyo-Mesi on him. The ... So who then is the "traditional rulers". politicians who took over from the colonial masters in 1960 also manipulated the The Oba of Benin went ahead to define traditional rulers towards attaining their "traditional ruler" as reflected in the Bendel myopic political objectives. Traditional State "Traditional Rulers and Chiefs Law, rulers who appeared to be too assertive 1979". Here, a traditional ruler is defined as were removed from office with ignominy. "the traditional head of an ethnic unit or clan The military took over power in 1966. who is for the time being the holder of the Like the colonial masters and politicians of highest traditional authority within the ethnic the 1960s, they turned traditional rulers unit or clan and whose title is recognised as a into a wax, which was molded, in traditional ruler title by the Government of different unhealthy directions. They are the State". Based on his own belief that only denied of any specific constitutional role in people who were rulers before the coming the governance of the country. of British colonialism had the right to be Who is a traditional ruler? We are called traditional rulers, the Oba of Benin raising this question from the outset personally defined a traditional ruler as "the given the statement made by one of the traditional head of an ethnic community leading traditional rulers in Nigeria, the Oba whose stool conferred the highest of Benin, Omo N'Oba N'Edo, Uku traditional authority on the incumbent Akpolokpolo, Erediauwa (1985). since the time before the beginning of the According to him: British rule" (p. x.). Arewa (1978: 151) defined "traditional ruler" in a similar .. people do not seem to know what even to manner. According to him, a traditional call us. In the pre-colonial days we went by various titles which, in the aggregate, could ruler "refers to an Emir, Oba, Obi or a be translated to' English as "King". But the paramount chief, who before the advent of colonial masters could not tolerate such the Colonial government in Nigeria, had translation that would have detracted from complete sovereignty over his territory and the position of the British Monarchy so they was not subject to any other higher authority settled for the nearest dictionary word within or outside his domain". Cap 19 of "Chief" which by my own dictionary means "leader or ruler". The colonial masters were the Laws of Western Region of Nigeria, nevertheless magnanimous enough not to 1959 makes no distinction between a tamper with our traditional titles and out traditional ruler and a "chief" appointed by traditional roles. They recognised some of him. They were all grouped together as us as "First Class Chiefs" by the presentation "chiefs" and a chief was defined as "a of the appropriate staff of office ... In the person whose chieftaincy title is associated early years of our independence, we were at with a native community and include a various times referred to as "natural rulers" . and "traditional rulers" which became 'minor' and recognised chief. Ibadan Journal of Peace & Development Page | 71 Ibadan Journal of Peace & Development Vols.5 & 6 May 2015 72 Isaac Olawale Albert The definitions provided above by the Oba of on the natural rulers. They used two methods for Benin and Dr. Arewa, respectively, cannot serve attaining this goal. The natural rulers were literally the whole of Nigeria as there are several traditional expected to choose between signing a treaty of political offices that were created during and after "friendship" or "protection" on the one hand, or the colonial era. Those created during the risk being attacked militarily. Many Southern colonial period include the Tor Tiv, OchTdoma, Nigerian communities chose the first option while and some other important chieftaincy titles a number of Northern Nigerian communities, most especially in the Middle Belt and Eastern because of the factor of Islam, had to be forced to Nigeria. More traditional institutions are still being accept the British colonialism. created in different parts of the country as the need Lagos was the first place to be colonised. The for them is felt. These people also have to be city was bombarded and occupied by the British in captured by our definition. We can thus simply 1851 on the grounds that the king, Oba Kosoko, define "traditional ruler", as the Oba of Benin did, was engaging in slave trade. The latter fled and was minus "since the time before the beginning of the replaced by Oba Akintoye who was forced to sign a British rule" plus, "before, during and since the treaty of protection with the British. A Consul was British rule". established. Ten years later, Oba Dosumu, Akitoye's son and successor, was literally forced to The Role of the British Colonialism cede Lagos to Britain. The administration of Lagos The contemporary legitimacy crisis suffered by now came under a British Governor, a legislative traditional rulers in Nigeria started since the council and an executive council. Commenting on the second half of the 19th century when the British administrative changes that Lagos experienced colonial rule started to take its root in the country. within a short space of the British colonialism, One of the things that the British observed at the Williams (1975:60) observes: earliest level of their interactions with the In 1866, it was included in the "West African Nigerian peoples was that they hold their natural Settlements" under a governor-in-chief rulers in high esteem. As noted in the resident in Sierra Leone to whom a local introductory part of this paper, Nigerian peoples administrator in Lagos and a legislative council perceived their rulers to be viceroy of the gods; were subservient. In 1874, the government of Lagos and Colony was placed under the Governor of they .were not considered to be mortals. In the Gold Coast. Twelve years later, in 1886, Lagos Yorubaland, some of the traditional rulers were was given a new charter and a separate even worshipped. It was therefore clear to the administration under a governor who was advised colonial entrepreneurs that once a king was by the Lagos Legislative Council. This conquered, his subjects would easily submit to the arrangement continued until 1914 when modern superior power of the colonising power. Rather Nigeria emerged as a single state with Lagos as its capital. than seeking to conquer the Nigerian communities they wanted to occupy, the British simply focused As Lagos was being pushed up and down, their "fire-power" Ibadan Journal of Peace & Development Page | 72 Ibadan Journal of Peace & Development Vols.5 & 6 May 2015 Background to the Demise of Traditional Political Authority in Nigeria 73 the traditional chieftains of the city who rather than the traditions that brought have now been shoved aside, watched with him to power, or the people he ruled great trepidation from "hiding", being over.
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