Constitution vs. Crown: Hausawa Movement Rejects Political Authority of Traditional Thrones in Nigeria
A new constitutional debate is rapidly gaining traction across Nigeria — especially in the North — as the Hausawa Tsantsa Movement issued a bold declaration distancing Nigeria’s Hausa people from political or religious directives commonly attributed to the Sultan of Sokoto. In a compelling statement titled “Mesa Ta Tashi”, authored by Hajiya Kaltume Alumbe Jitami, the group made it explicitly clear that Hausa citizens pledge their loyalty only to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, not to any traditional or religious authority outside democratic governance.
This statement adds fresh fuel to ongoing national conversations about identity, traditional influence, and the evolving nature of governance in Africa’s most populous nation.
What the Hausawa Tsantsa Declaration Says
In the meticulously worded announcement, the Hausawa Tsantsa Movement asserted that the Hausa people — numbering in the tens of millions nationwide — are independent citizens under the Nigerian state and bound by the Constitution above all. It insisted that no traditional office, regardless of how ancient or spiritually regarded, can override constitutional law or democratic processes. The movement declared that citizens are not subject to political or religious rulings outside Nigeria’s constitutional framework and rejected the notion that ethnic or religious leaders have any legal authority to govern political life.
The statement said clearly that:
The Hausa are constitutional Nigerians, not subjects of any throne.
Allegiance to traditional or religious leadership should not be interpreted as political subordination.
Nigeria’s Constitution is the highest legal authority in the land.
This public distancing reflects a growing clarity among civic groups that cultural respect must be fundamentally separate from political authority.
The Constitutional Context in Nigeria
Nigeria operates under a constitutional democracy. Its Constitution is the supreme law — a principle reaffirmed repeatedly in public debates around governance reform. The current Constitution, adopted in 1999 after decades of constitutional reviews and political reforms, places sovereignty in the hands of the people and lays out a republican system where power is exercised through elected institutions. Throughout recent discussions on constitutional reform, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and lawmakers have reiterated that constitutional supremacy is foundational to Nigeria’s democracy.
Despite this, the Constitution does not assign any formal political powers to traditional rulers, including the Sultan of Sokoto. Traditional and customary institutions exist largely outside the legal political framework, their roles ceremonial, cultural, and religious rather than executive or legislative under the law.
Who Is the Sultan of Sokoto — and What Is His Influence?
The office of the Sultan of Sokoto is widely recognised as one of Nigeria’s most revered traditional institutions. The Sultan, currently Sa’ad Abubakar III, holds the title “Sarkin Musulmi” — meaning Commander of the Faithful — and is a leading figure in Nigeria’s Muslim community. His influence is rooted in religion and history, not constitutional authority.
At the same time, various political debates have surfaced about traditional rulers’ place in modern governance. Some actors, including monarchs and politicians from other regions, have pressed for clearer constitutional recognition of traditional houses, arguing that these institutions play vital roles in conflict resolution, peacebuilding, and local administration.
For example, monarchs in southern Nigeria, such as the Oku Ibom Ibibio and many governors, have advocated that traditional rulers should have explicit constitutional roles — not to govern, but to support community development and stability through clearly defined legal backing. Meanwhile, Senate discussions have broached bills to establish a National Council of Traditional Rulers, stirring both support and resistance from various cultural and constitutional scholars.
Why This Declaration Matters
The Hausawa Tsantsa Movement’s statement is significant because it highlights a tension that exists in Nigerian public life: the balance between deep cultural traditions and modern constitutional democracy. Nigeria is not alone in facing this dynamic. Across Africa, countries like Ghana, South Africa, and Namibia have constitutionally entrenched traditional institutions in ways that do not undermine democratic governance.
In Nigeria, however, there is no constitutional provision granting political authority to traditional rulers. Historically, under British colonial rule, indirect administration used traditional institutions as intermediaries, particularly in northern Nigeria — a practice that lingered in shaping civic expectations even after independence. But independence and republican constitutional structures ultimately formalised a separation between ceremonial leadership and state power.
What the Hausawa Tsantsa Movement underscores is that cultural respect for traditional institutions must remain distinct from legal political authority.
Tradition, Identity, and Citizenship in political Nigeria
The Hausa people trace their origins back to ancient city-states such as Kano, Katsina, Zaria, and Daura — centres of trade, scholarship, and governance long before colonial restructuring. These entities were not just administrative units; they were rich political cultures with their own codes, leadership systems, and societal values.
Yet the modern Nigerian state — created through the amalgamation carried out under colonial rule in 1914 and refined through successive republican constitutions — reshaped how identity, belonging, and sovereignty are defined. Citizenship today is anchored in the federal constitutional order, not in pre‑colonial titles or inherited thrones.
For millions of Hausa people across Nigeria, this means that their primary identity, rights, and duties belong to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, upheld by democratic institutions and legal processes.
Reactions and Implications
Analysts predict this declaration could intensify ongoing public discussions. Traditional figures remain deeply respected culturally and spiritually, but the movement’s stance reflects a growing civic awareness that democratic systems must remain the ultimate source of political authority.
Many Nigerians — including civil society voices, legal scholars, and youth activists — have called for broader public education about the Constitution itself. Some civic commentators point out that most citizens engage deeply with religious texts but rarely study the Constitution with equal rigor, even though it directly governs their rights, responsibilities, and civic participation.
Others argue that traditional institutions have unofficial but valuable roles in community cohesion, conflict resolution, and dispute mediation — functions that can support governance without substituting state institutions.
What This Means for Nigeria’s Future
At its core, the Hausawa Tsantsa declaration is not a rejection of history or culture — it is a reaffirmation of democratic citizenship. It sends a clear message: Nigeria’s constitutional order is non‑negotiable in matters of political authority.
As identity politics, cultural heritage, and civic rights continue to shape public discourse, this declaration may represent a watershed moment. It invites Nigerians to reconsider how tradition and modern governance interact — not as competing forces, but as complementary aspects of national life.
In a nation as diverse as Nigeria, where tribes, religions, and histories converge, reaffirming commitment to constitutional democracy while respecting cultural heritage could serve as a foundation for unity, inclusion, and sustainable development.
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