The South-East Council of Traditional Rulers (SECTR) has expressed concern over the timetable for the 2027 general elections, describing the January 16 date for the presidential and National Assembly polls as unfavourable to the Igbo people.
The monarchs urged Igbo residents who may travel to their hometowns for festivities around the election period to return to their voter registration areas in the cities to participate in the polls.
The council made the call in a communiqué issued after its quarterly delegate meeting and made available to journalists on Tuesday.
It also appealed to community leaders across the South-East to suspend festivals from January 10, 2027, until the conclusion of the 2027 elections to enable residents to focus on voting.
The communiqué was signed by the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe.
At the meeting, the council approved the rotation of its leadership to Eze Linus Nto Mbah of Abia State.
The monarchs also backed the Southern Governors Forum’s approval of a rotational arrangement for the leadership of the Southern Traditional Rulers Council among the three geopolitical zones in the southern part of the country.
On the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the traditional rulers expressed disappointment that their appeals to the Federal Government for his release had yet to yield results.
“The council expressed concern that after several appeals for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to the federal government, nothing has been done. The council therefore requests his unconditional release,” the communiqué stated.
The monarchs, however, commended the South-East governors for their continued support for the traditional institution in the region.
