Council+of+Elders

Within each //obodo//, a council of elders meet to debate current issues with the eldest member as the religious, executive, and judicial head. Each //Igbo// society functioned autonomously with a council of elders, one of the five cross-cutting institutions, which formed the centralized political structure of their community. The oldest man had authority in terms of discussion but would never overpower the council itself. Nothing was decided without reaching an agreeable understanding or reaching a consensus.