The Sokoto State Government has denied allegations made by the Muslim Rights Council (MURIC) that it is plotting to depose the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III.
The state Commissioner for Information and Societal Reorientation, Hon. Sambo Bello Danchadi, reacted to the allegations on Tuesday.
According to Danchadi, the state government has no plans whatsoever to dethrone the revered monarch, and the laws guiding the appointment and disposition of traditional rulers in the state remain unchanged.
He said the government has no intention of tampering with the institution of the Sultanate, which he said is deeply revered in the state and across Nigeria.
The denial comes after MURIC’s Executive Director, Prof. Isiaq Akintola, raised alarm on Monday, citing the recent removal of 15 traditional rulers in the state as a precursor to the alleged plot to depose the Sultan. Akintola warned that any hostile action against the Sultan would be met with resistance from the Muslim Ummah in Nigeria, who he said view the Sultan as their spiritual leader.
MURIC expressed concerns over the alleged sour relationship between the state government and the Sultan, noting that the Sultan’s position is not only traditional but also religious, as he heads the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs.
Vice President Kasheem Shettima also weighed in on the issue. He said it is important to protect the institution of the Sultanate, which he described as a revered and sacred position that must be guarded and protected by all Muslims.
