By Jude Opara
The South-East Council of Traditional Rulers (SECTR) has expressed concern that the timetable for the 2027 general elections, particularly the January 16 date scheduled for the presidential and National Assembly elections, could disadvantage the Igbo people.
The traditional rulers raised the concern after their quarterly delegate meeting, urging Igbo people travelling to their communities for festivities during the election period to return to their voter registration areas in good time to participate in the polls.
In a communiqué made available to journalists on Tuesday, the council called on community leaders across the South-East to suspend all festivals from January 10, 2027, until the conclusion of the 2027 general elections.
The communiqué was signed by Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, the Obi of Onitsha.
The monarchs also approved the rotation of the council’s leadership to Eze Linus Nto Mbah of Abia State.
They further endorsed the Southern Governors Forum’s position on rotating the leadership of the southern traditional rulers’ council among the three geopolitical zones in the region.
On the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the council expressed disappointment that the Federal Government had yet to act on repeated appeals for his release.
The communiqué stated that the monarchs remained concerned that their previous appeals to the Federal Government had not yielded the desired outcome.
“The council therefore requests his unconditional release,” the communiqué stated.
The traditional rulers also expressed appreciation to South-East governors for their continued support for the traditional institution across the region.
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