By Uche Aguoru
In an alarming show of high-handedness, insecurity, and utter disdain for democratic values, the administration of Governor Alex Otti has unleashed a new wave of repression on traditional rulers in Abia State. Under the guise of a so-called “code of conduct,” Otti’s government has issued directives that amount to nothing less than the caging of these custodians of culture and tradition.
The new guidelines dictate that no traditional ruler may receive or host visitors in their palaces without express approval from the governor. Even more shockingly, they are forbidden from traveling outside the state or convening meetings beyond state boundaries, host or award chieftaincy titles to deserving individuals without government permission. Such draconian measures are characteristic of a despotic regime, not a democracy.
To compound the outrage, credible reports indicate that some monarchs who paid a courtesy visit to Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, have been summoned like errant schoolboys to the office of the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs. Their offense? Expressing support for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. They now face the grotesque threat of disciplinary action, including possible suspension or withdrawal of their staff of office for exercising their fundamental rights to freedom of association and speech.
What crime have these royal fathers committed that warrants such medieval punishment? It is clear: Governor Otti, having breached the promises he made to these leaders before the 2023 elections, promises that included ensuring their rightful 5% allocation from the federation account now seeks to muzzle and intimidate them into silence for fear that might work against him in the coming election and expose his duplicity to the public.
The traditional rulers, who were instrumental in mobilizing support for Otti’s election, have been abandoned, disrespected, and now subjugated. The governor who once courted their goodwill with lofty promises has now turned against them, revealing an administration rooted not in partnership and respect, but in fear, suspicion, and authoritarian control.
It is imperative for the world to know the indignities being suffered by the royal fathers of Abia State. These respected custodians of our heritage are being treated like subjects under colonial rule, stripped of their dignity, caged within their own palaces, and threatened into political servitude.
Governor Otti must be reminded that democracy thrives on dialogue, mutual respect, and adherence to the rule of law, not intimidation, coercion, and suppression.
Traditional rulers are not political appointees; they are the living symbols of our communities’ history, values, and identity. Attempting to gag and control them is not only an assault on their persons but an attack on the soul of Abia State itself.
This travesty must not stand. Every well-meaning Abian, every lover of freedom, and every advocate of democracy must rise to condemn this cowardly, undemocratic, and autocratic assault. Governor Otti must immediately withdraw these shameful directives, respect the autonomy and dignity of traditional institutions, and remember that leadership is about service, not subjugation.
History will not be kind to those who, when given the sacred trust to lead, chose instead to oppress.
Aguoru is a public affairs analyst
