The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has alleged that the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, is still being targeted for deposition by the Sokoto State government.
According to Prof. Ishaq Akintola, Executive Director of MURIC, a bill aimed at stripping the Sultan of certain powers has passed its first and second readings in the Sokoto State House of Assembly.
The Sokoto Emirate Council Amendment Bill, if passed into law, would require the Sultan to obtain government approval before appointing kingmakers and district heads.
MURIC condemns this move as an attempt to diminish the Sultan’s influence. Instead, Akintola suggests amending the chieftaincy law to remove the governor’s power to remove the Sultan.
He said, “(Governor) Ahmed Aliyu is exhibiting the symptoms of fascism, totalitarianism and prebendalism. Nigerian Muslims are already asking, ‘Why the rush?’ Why are they rushing the bill if there is no hidden agenda? The whole exercise is suggestive of political motivation.
“The governor is barely one year in office and he has removed 15 traditional rulers. How many will he remove by the time he spends four years? That is reckless. It is acrobatic administrative reform at breakneck speed. The governor needs to slow down.
“Were the offences of those 15 traditional rulers who were removed ever published? Were they given the chance to defend themselves? Were the reports of the investigations made public in order to conform with democratic norms and global best practices?”
He added, “The state government came out yesterday to deny any plan to remove the Sultan but we can all see what it is doing secretly now. What explanation does the governor have for the sudden interest in hijacking the Sultanate Council?
“This is further evidence that Governor Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State is deceiving Nigerian Muslims. It is a manifestation of a strange crave for absolute power. MURIC calls the attention of Sokoto lawmakers to this disturbing development. What the good people of Sokoto State need now is a stable Sultanate Council. That is our pride. An ever-swinging traditional pendulum will cause fluctuation of values and norms. The citizens will experience blurred vision, nightmarish dreams and scattered goals.”
