QN. Explain the criteria of eligibility for political office among the Yoruba and Nupe of Nigeria
BACKGROUND OF
YURUBA AND NUPE
The Yoruba
The Yoruba are situated in
Western Nigeria, along with such groups as the Oyo, Ife, Ijesha, Ekiti, Ijebu,
Ketu and Ondo. The Yoruba tried to establish a common identity among the
different sub-ethnic groups in the region so as to be able to compete with the other
ethnic groups for power in Nigeria. In 1951 the Yoruba established their own political
party – Action Group (AG), which was important during the First Republic. In
1993 a Yoruba, Mr. Abiola, won the presidential election for the Third
Republic, which later was annulled, Abiola was thrown in jail and later killed. In
1970 there between eight and nine million Yoruba people of similar culture and
language occupying the western part of Nigeria. (http://www.pcr.uu.se/gpdatabase/gpcountry.php?id=119®ionSelect=2-Southern_Africa).
Features of
Yoruba people
They live in large settlements many of which used to
be the capitals of chiefdoms.
They are agriculturalists in the rain and deciduous
forest zones, growing yam, maize, cassava, and beans. At present cocoa farming
dominates their farming activities.
Yoruba people are so religious which is based on
indigenous religion which is deeply rooted in the social structure and social
organization. Also language used is Yoruba.
Inherent in the Yoruba worldview is the belief that
“the factor of luck, which is associated with the head” is essential in the
life of every individual. According to this belief, luck is a personal quality,
which relates the “owner of the head (olori)” i.e. an individual “to the
multiple souls or spiritual guardians, while an unlucky person (olori
buruku, e’eda buruku) has a bad head or creator”). In this religion, an
individual’s “luck and success in economic and other affairs.
The role played by Yoruba norms was to re-shape the
development of Islam when it was introduced in Yoruba land.
The Nupe
The history of Nupe in the early
part of the nineteenth century was marked by political instability caused by
disputes over succession. This conflict ended in 1796, when two rival Etsu,
Jimada and Majiya II, claimed the throne. Islam has been an
important northern influence, and the first Nupe king to become a Muslim ruled about 1770.
The Fulani
conquest that occurred in stages after 1820 was even more influential. At the end
of the century British rule was established through the activities of the Royal
Niger Company. The Bida state was governed as part of the British colony of
Nigeria until 1960, when Nigeria gained independence. During the creation of
states by subsequent Nigerian governments, Minna was made the capital of Niger
State, although Bida remains the largest predominantly Nupe town.
The Nupe are situated in
Northern elite are composed of the aristocracy. They are closely linked to
Islam and the Hausa language.
In 1934 the population density in Bida division was about 35 people per square mile.
The Nupe are also agriculturalists in what may be called the Niger and kaduna
River basin.
Cultural Identity
The Nupe people are called different names by various tribes in
Nigeria. For example, the Yoruba refer to them as Takpa, the Hausas call them Nufawa (Plural) or Banufe (Singular). Gwaris refer to them as Anupeyi. The Nupe people refer to
themselves as Nupecizi (Plural)
and Nupeci (Singular). The
Nupe comprises other related ethnic groups or sub-tribes namely; Beni,Benu, Kusopa, Dibo, Gana-Gana, Kakanda,
Basa, Cekpan, Kede, and Kupa.
Characteristics of Nupe people
Nupe people have diverse physical characteristics in relation to body
appearance. Some are tall, others are of medium and short heights.
Somepeople are very light, others are light and majority are dark skinned
while some are extremely dark. Interestingly, a mixture of fat, but not too
many obese people, is common; though, there are fat and strong agile looking
people too.
A minority are lanky and slim-shaped. Also, within the social and
political engineering of Nigerian nation, the Nupe people have come along way.
Apart from the historic feat of the founders
of Nupe Kingdom, the present generations have continued to blaze the trail.
Language used by Nupe people is Hausa,Nupe people are
binded together with Islamic religion, they produce and use metal and non-metal
goods for domestic affairs not only that but also Nupe are agriculturalists. The people are active farmers.Major crops grown are rice, sorghum, millet,
melon, vegetables, yam, homestead livestock management and fishing.
The following are eligibility criteria for political
office of Yoruba people in Nigeria:
Selection of top
leaders
The top leaders of Yoruba people are called Ewi; Ewi
is the tittle of position. The present of lineage was founded by Ewi in
sixteenth century. About the beginning of the eighteenth century the Ewi is
selected alternatively from the two loyal segments and he must be a son born to
an Oba while on the throne, but not the first of such sons; he must have been
born to a free woman (virgin woman) and also physically fit. Hence, in the
lineages, and state councils, the opinion of older men and even women is highly
regarded (Fadipe 1970, Akintoye 1971).
Appointment of
leaders
The Ewi has the right to appoint three of the
hereditary chiefs, who by tradition have free access to his private apartments
in the palace. Some of the lower I hare tittles are hereditary in certain lineages
and others are granted by the Ewi in council to person of influence and
ability.
Consideration of
age in political issues
Age grade also plays a very important role in
political organization. A man passes five grades, each of span of nine years
from childhood to adulthood. Each grade marks his economic status and allocate
to his specific state duties;
promotion in the grades is a purely personal matter are of achievement.
Limit of
leadership
The Ewi chief holds office for life, but leadership
can end soon after death or can be removed by being asked by whose appointed
him to take poison and die.
Structure of
hierarchy
The political office in Yoruba people is headed by Ewi.
The Ewi is followed by Elegbe, Ife, and Ihare. So the lines of authority are
being shown clearly and strongly followed.
Legal issues.
Members of a
lineage generally live in a single compound or in adjacent compounds under a
lineage head who is normally the oldest male member. Such a lineage is a
corporate land and tittle owning group whose welfare and harmonious
organization lie in the hand of the oldest male member. This lineage head has
tittle more than moral authority and ritual sanctions over his members.
Democratic governance in Yoruba
The nature of their
underlying political values is another factor that gives traditional
institutions the potential to contribute to Africa’s democratization process.
It is likely that the more traditional political values converge with democratic
principles in their dispensation, the greater would be their potential to
contribute to democratic transformation of the continent. It is always risky to
generalize about African traditional institutions, given their diversity.
Nevertheless, the most common political values and practices in the decentralized
political systems include: Decentralization of power; Direct participation in decision-making;
Resolution of conflicts by narrowing differences; Respect for dissent and
protection of minority views and interests by requiring consensus on decisions;
Narrowing the gap between the rulers and the ruled through direct participation
of all adult males in making and in enforcing rules; Shortening the term of
service of office holders; and Equitable access to land.
The following are eligibility criteria for political
office of Nupe people in Nigeria:
Selection of
leaders
Selection of leaders among Nupe people are based or
acquired by personal ability and qualities. The tittles among the Nupe carry
types of state duties which need special ability. The criteria of eligibility
are more on ability than the chance of brother while in Yoruba tittles are
mostly granted by lineage inheritance.
Political
structure
Political system of Nupe people are both in
pyramidal shape. This means that the top leaders are few than the lower
leaders. For example Etsu is the head of Nupe kingdom followed by other leaders
known as Alkali,Shaba and Kpotun.
Judiciary basis
In the order
of Rama comprises the Muslims and judicial officers (Alkali) learned in Koran;
so the judicial process based on Koran. The order of Mallams and Alkali is a
specialized on basing on ability and knowledge of the Koran, some of them tend
to be hereditary reflecting the tradition of learning in certain families.
Otherwise any clever person can become an Alkali or Liman on officiating Muslim
priest depending on his loyalty and influence.
CRITICISM
In spite of the features and eligibility criteria
for political offices of Yoruba and Nupe people in Nigeria also there are
similarities between Yoruba and Nupe such as both are strongly using hierarchy
of authority structures, involved much in agriculture. Not only that but also
they differ in terms of selection of leaders Yoruba based on traditional
inheritance while Nupe based on personal ability and qualities who undergone
for a special training, Yoruba lied on local “indigenous” religion in social
structure and social organization while Nupe lied on Islamic religion strongly
using Koran.
CONCLUSION
Political system in Yoruba and Nupe people of
Nigeria are very important on growth of democracy in Africa, due to fact that
involve the most common political values and practices in the decentralized
political systems include; Decentralization of power; Direct participation in decision-making;
Resolution of conflicts by narrowing differences; Respect for dissent and
protection of minority views and interests by requiring consensus on decisions;
Narrowing the gap between the rulers and the ruled through direct participation
of all adult males in making and in enforcing rules; Shortening the term of
service of office holders; and Equitable access to land. So that the some
African countries which are suffering from dictatorship leadership should learn
or adopt something related to political system of Yoruba and Nupe.
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