On Monday, Vice President Kashim Shettima and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) issued warnings regarding an alleged plot by the Sokoto State government to remove the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III. These concerns follow the controversial removal of the Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero, by the Kano State governor in May, which heightened sensitivities around the stability of traditional leadership in northern Nigeria.
The Sokoto State government, however, firmly denied any such plans. Sambo Danchadi, the State Commissioner for Information, clarified that the existing laws governing the appointment and tenure of traditional rulers in Sokoto had not been altered, and no moves were being made to dethrone the Sultan.
Despite these assurances, the Executive Director of the Muslim Rights Council (MURIC), Prof. Isiaq Akintola, raised the alarm over potential actions against the Sultan. Akintola drew attention to the recent removal of 15 traditional rulers by Sokoto State Governor Ahmed Aliyu in April, suggesting that these actions might be a precursor to a more significant move against the Sultan.
Akintola, in his statement, emphasized that Nigerian Muslims would not tolerate any adversarial actions against the Sultan, who holds not only a traditional but also a critical religious position as the spiritual leader of Nigerian Muslims. He highlighted concerns over the “sour relationship between the governor and the Sultan,” urging the governor to exercise restraint and respect the traditional institution.
MURIC warned that any attempts to dethrone the Sultan could provoke a significant backlash. “Feelers in circulation indicate that the governor may descend on the Sultan of Sokoto any moment from now using any of the flimsy excuses used to dethrone the 15 traditional rulers whom he removed earlier,” the organization stated. They advised the governor to proceed with caution, noting, “The Sultan’s stool is not only traditional; it is also religious. His jurisdiction extends beyond Sokoto, covering the entire nation. He is the spiritual head of all Nigerian Muslims.”
Vice President Shettima echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the Sultan’s significant role at the North-West Peace and Security Summit in Katsina State. He urged the Sokoto government to recognize that the Sultan is more than just a local monarch, representing an important national institution. “In all developmental issues in this country, His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto, I want to use him as a point of reference to recognize and appreciate all our royal fathers present here,” Shettima said.
Addressing the Deputy Governor of Sokoto, Shettima stressed, “Yes, the Sultan is the Sultan of Sokoto, but he is much more than that; he represents an idea, he is an institution that all of us in this country need to jealously guard, protect, promote, preserve and project for the growth of our nation.”
In response to MURIC’s alarm, the Sokoto State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party also issued a stern warning to the state government. The party’s spokesman, Hassan Sanyinnawal, expressed their readiness to resist any attempts to unseat the Sultan. He noted that the PDP was reviewing the recent dismissals of district heads and might take legal action if necessary. “I want to urge the state government not to make any attempts to sack the Sultan from office. We know it was part of their slogan during the campaign that ‘new governor, new Sultan’; they should drop the idea,” Sanyinnawal said.
He continued, “The Sultan of Sokoto is not just a traditional ruler but also the leader of Muslim Ummah in the country. Therefore, any attempt to remove him will be resisted by every Nigerian.”
The evolving situation underscores the delicate balance between political authority and traditional institutions in Nigeria, highlighting the need for careful navigation to avoid exacerbating tensions within the region.
