Adamawa Chieftaincy laws Not Targeted at Any Individual – Adamawa Government

The Adamawa State Government has clearly denied that the new chieftaincy bill before the State House of Assembly is as a result of a political witch hunt targeting a prominent Adamawa State politician.

This statement comes in response to extensive media reports and public anxiety that the proposed bill is targeted at a former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, these sources claimed that the measure aimed to strip the current titleholder of their title, which is false according to a copy of the bill obtained by this news medium.

However, in a press conference in Yola, the Adamawa state commissioner for information and strategy, Hon. James Illiya, denied that the current amendment to the Adamawa chieftaincy law is aimed at anyone and that the former vice president is not the target of the amendment to the chieftaincy law before the state House of Assembly.

The bill consists of two components: one addresses who will act on behalf of any chiefs when they are indisposed, and the other aims to resolve the issues faced by the people of Demsa when the late King, Murum Mbula, was ill and the kingmaker appointed the king’s younger brother to act in his place.

“We are all aware that the kingmaker’s decision at the time was not supported by any statute; therefore, the state government decided to resolve the issue in the new law.

The letter from the Ministry of Local Government makes no mention of revoking anyone’s title; rather, it proposes that core indigenes of the chiefdom should be kingmakers, rather than someone from another local government or chiefdom becoming a kingmaker in another chiefdom.

 

See full statement below:

TEXT OF A PRESS BRIEFING BY HON. ILIYA JAMES ON A BILL BEFORE THE ADAMAWA STATATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY TO REFORM TRADITIONAL Councils.

Adamawa Traditional and Chieftaincy Affairs Not Targeted at Any Individual

The Adamawa State Government wishes to categorically clarify that recent activities and reforms within the Traditional and Chieftaincy Affairs sector are not directed at any individual or group. These efforts are part of a broader strategy to strengthen and modernize traditional institutions in alignment with constitutional roles and cultural preservation.

It has come to the government’s attention that certain narratives in the public space suggest that recent decisions concerning chieftaincy matters are politically motivated or aimed at specific individuals. We firmly refute these claims. The government remains committed to upholding transparency, fairness, and due process in all traditional and administrative matters.

Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri has consistently emphasised the importance of preserving Adamawa’s rich cultural heritage while ensuring that traditional rulers operate within a framework of law and accountability. The ongoing reviews are intended to improve coordination, resolve long-standing disputes, and promote unity within traditional institutions, not marginalise or punish any individual. In the current law under review, even a Yoruba or Ibo man can become a kingmaker or a council member in Adamawa State.

Part of the current bill before the Adamawa State House of Assembly concerns the nomination of a substitute in the event of a Chief’s illness, while the other concerns the makeup of kingmakers. Prior to this review, all the legislation that governed Adamawa State’s traditional institutions was outdated until the current administration took office.

We all recall the vacuum left when the late Murum Mbula became ill and went to seek medical treatment abroad. The council of chiefs had to use an authority they lacked to designate his younger brother as a placeholder until the king returned, which threw the entire chiefdom into disorder. The crisis was resolved only after the state government’s timely intervention. This change is also part of the state government’s decision to pursue a statute to regulate the chiefdom if necessary.

The second law deals with the composition of the kingmakers. We are all aware that there are kingmakers, but there is no provision outlining the eligibility of council members, for example, as existed prior to this modification. A person from Mubi may be appointed as a kingmaker in the Adamawa emirate council despite not being a resident of the Adamawa emirate council’s local governments. This peculiar situation is one of the issues that the new amendment aims to address.

We have over 100 kingmakers ranging from Adamawa emirate to Mubi emirate to Ganye to Numan, among others; thus, it is pointless to claim that the new rule is aimed at specific individuals of Adamawa state. The traditional institution was established by the state parliament and is administered by the state government, with the governor’s role to enact laws that benefit the people of Adamawa.

Finally, the letter written by the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs is self-explanatory, which even an elementary school student can read and understand. Why the letter announce the new reforms? The letter further states that people who were given titles under the current setup will continue to hold them; however, their kingmaker duties must be renounced so that the true indigenes of the local governments concerned can be selected as kingmakers.

We urge the public to disregard unfounded reports and instead support the government’s efforts to enhance the integrity and functionality of our traditional structures. Misinformation only serves to create unnecessary tension and divert attention from the real goals of peace, development, and cultural preservation.