COALITION FOR THE DEFENCE OF TRADITIONAL INSTITUTIONS CONDEMNS SOLUDO FOR SETTING UP CHURCH LEADERS AS PANEL OVER AWKA TRADITIONAL KINGSHIP TUSSLE

The Coalition for the Defence of Traditional Institutions (CDTI), a leading advocacy group committed to preserving Nigeria’s indigenous cultural heritage and traditional governance systems, has strongly condemned Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, for constituting a Commission of Inquiry dominated by church leaders to probe the long-standing tussle over the Eze Uzu traditional stool of Awka.

In a statement released today, the Coalition described the panel’s composition as “a deliberate affront to the sanctity of traditional institutions” and an attempt to impose religious perspectives on matters rooted in ancestral customs and communal traditions.

The Commission of Inquiry, inaugurated by Governor Soludo on February 24, 2026, is chaired by Hon. Justice Paul Obidigwe (Rtd), a retired Chief Judge and Christian Knight. Prominent members include Rev. Fr. Barr. Maurice Izunwa (a Catholic priest and barrister) and other figures with strong ecclesiastical affiliations, raising serious concerns about impartiality and cultural competence in adjudicating a purely traditional kingship dispute.

The CDTI highlighted the following grounds for its condemnation:

1. *Inappropriate Composition and Religious Bias*
The inclusion of ordained church leaders, including a Reverend Father, in a panel tasked with investigating a traditional rulership matter fundamentally undermines the autonomy of indigenous institutions. Traditional kingship in Awka is governed by age-old customs, norms, and the authority of kingmakers (Ndi Ichie), not ecclesiastical doctrines or Christian interpretations.

2. *Threat to Cultural Integrity*
The Coalition views this move as part of a broader pattern of attempting to Christianize or subordinate traditional practices to religious oversight, which contravenes the cultural rights of the Awka people and violates the principle of respect for indigenous heritage protected under international and national frameworks.

3. *Violation of Separation of Domains*
Matters of traditional stool succession and legitimacy fall squarely within the purview of customary law and the traditional council, subject only to judicial review where necessary. Executive interference through a religiously skewed panel risks eroding the independence of traditional institutions and setting a dangerous precedent across Nigeria.

The Coalition reiterated that the Eze Uzu tussle  involving claims between Chief Gibson Nwosu (Eze Uzu II) and Chief Austin Ndigwe Ezeuzu 111 is a sensitive cultural issue best resolved through authentic traditional processes or, where disputed, by courts of competent jurisdiction, rather than panels perceived as externally influenced.

“We call on Governor Soludo to immediately disband or this panel to include credible representatives of traditional institutions, elders, and kingmakers of Awka Kingdom. The dignity and autonomy of our traditional systems must not be sacrificed on the altar of religious expediency,” the statement declared.

The group urged all stakeholders, including cultural organisations, the National Council of Traditional Rulers, and civil society, to stand firm against any encroachment on Nigeria’s rich traditional heritage.