Idoma Council Refutes Report Linking Tinubu to Revoked Chieftaincy Titles

The Idoma Area Traditional Council (IATC) in Benue State has dismissed claims suggesting that President Bola Tinubu was among those affected by the recent suspension of chieftaincy titles in Idoma land.

Secretary to the paramount ruler of the Idoma Traditional Council, Adegbe Uloko, clarified the matter in a statement issued on Tuesday. He stressed that neither President Tinubu nor the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) appeared on any list of nominees presented by the Igede Traditional Council.

The clarification follows media reports speculating that Tinubu’s name was included in the titles nullified by the IATC. The controversy stems from the council’s recent move suspending all conferments of traditional titles in Idoma land.

According to the IATC, the directive—initially issued on August 19 and reaffirmed on September 2—was a blanket order halting all chieftaincy title conferments by intermediate councils until proper vetting and approval were concluded.

Uloko, in the statement titled “No chieftaincy title of the President or SGF was nullified by IATC”, explained:

“At no time did the list submitted to the Idoma Area Traditional Council contain the name of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or that of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.”

He noted that HRH Ero Oga, the first-class chief of Igede, had been directed on August 19 to suspend conferments, a directive later reinforced in the September 2 declaration.

“The declaration was a general directive suspending all conferment of chieftaincy titles by all intermediate area traditional councils within Idoma land until duly considered and approved by the Idoma Area Traditional Council,” the statement added.

The IATC emphasised that the suspension was not targeted at any individual but aimed at safeguarding the dignity of the throne, preserving Idoma customs, and preventing the politicisation of traditional honours.

As the apex traditional institution in Idoma land, the council said it remained committed to upholding cultural integrity while supporting peace and development in Benue State and Nigeria at large.

By distancing President Tinubu and the SGF from the nullified titles, the IATC hopes to quell speculation, protect the image of the presidency, and reaffirm its authority over cultural matters.