By BONIFACE AKARAH

The Eze Aro Palace has dismissed allegations against His Eminence, Eberechukwu Oji, describing recent criticisms of his involvement in the Southern Nigeria Traditional Rulers Council (SNTRC) as “misleading and inflammatory.”

In a statement issued February 22, 2026, in Abuja, Director of Public Affairs, Mazi Ernie Onwumere, said attempts to portray the Eze Aro’s participation in a recent Pan-Nigeria traditional rulers’ conference as politically motivated were factually incorrect.

According to the Palace, the Abuja event in question was a health programme convened by the Federal Ministry of Health and supported by the World Bank, attended by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and not a political gathering.

“To frame the innocuous, health programme-focused Abuja event as politically motivated and the Eze Aro as bringing ‘shame’ to the Igbo nation is not only factually incorrect, but also a disservice to national unity,” the statement read.

The Palace further clarified that the Southern Nigeria Traditional Rulers Council, inaugurated on May 21, 2024, was founded on “a structure of equity,” not subservience to any monarch. It rejected claims that Igbo traditional rulers were placed in a subordinate position under the leadership of the Ooni of Ife.

Describing such allegations as “a baseless falsehood designed to sow discord,” the statement outlined the council’s leadership structure, noting that it reflects a tripod arrangement across the South West, South East and South South zones, with executive positions distributed among the regions and subject to rotation.

“This is not a monarchy under a single ruler; it is a constitutional council with checks and balances, and with provisions for rotation of all executive positions, including the chairmanship,” the Palace stated.

It added that the Eze Aro currently serves as Publicity Secretary of the council, a role it described as strategic and influential, ensuring that the South East has a visible voice within the body’s communication framework.

The statement also dismissed suggestions that the SNTRC is a political support group for any ruling party, maintaining that the council was established to foster cohesion among traditional institutions in Southern Nigeria, similar to the Northern Nigeria Traditional Rulers Council.

“As the communiqué from that meeting affirmed, the Council resolved unequivocally that it must remain ‘APOLITICAL’ and focused on ‘the peace of Nigeria and the furtherance of the unity of the Southern Traditional Institution,’” the Palace said.

Defending the personal integrity of the monarch, the Palace described the Eze Aro as “a distinguished personality of high integrity” whose role in the council elevates the voice of Arochukwu and the South East at the national level.

“To suggest that His Eminence is an ‘errand boy’ or diminishing the Aro throne is not only disrespectful, but an insult to the intelligence of those who know the revered monarch,” the statement said.

The Palace further argued that engagement in broader Southern cooperation aligns with the historic legacy of the Aro Confederacy, which it described as rooted in diplomacy and alliance-building rather than isolationism.

While acknowledging differing views, the Palace urged “knowledgeable sons and daughters of Aro and the Igbo nation” to support the SNTRC and accord the Eze Aro due respect as traditional rulers collaborate on issues of security, governance, economic stability and public health across Southern Nigeria.

The statement concluded that the Council remains “a vehicle for unity, strength, and progress,” insisting that the Eze Aro “is not a passenger in this vehicle; he is one of its drivers.”