The Onyishi system is a gerontocratic leadership structure where the eldest man in a lineage holds authority and performs ritual duties for the kin group.
Maintains lineage continuity, mediates disputes, conducts ancestral rites, and legitimizes communal decision-making.
A deeply rooted Nsukka-area institution, historically predating colonial governance structures. Still relevant but now coexists with modern chieftaincy.
Onyishi presides over sacrifices, lineage meetings, and community decisions.
