If the amendment bill is passed into law, it will reduce the power of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saâad Abubakar III, which included singlehanded appointing kingmakers and district heads without approval from the state government, among others.
According to The Punch, the bill’s passage came the second day after the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) raised the alarm over Governor Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto state’s alleged plot to depose the sultan of Sokoto.
Prof. Isiaq Akintola, the executive director of MURIC, expressed concerns over the possible move of the state government to depose the Sultan. The alarm came amid tension and controversy that followed the removal of five monarchs in Kano state.
The Islamic group maintained that the Sultan’s role extended beyond traditional and religious boundaries. It also extended beyond the northwest state and covered the entire country, as he is regarded as the spiritual head of all Muslims.
Earlier, Governor Ahmed Aliyu had deposed 15 traditional rulers in the state for various offences.
Vice President Kashim Shettima cautioned the state government against an alleged plot to depose the Sultan of Sokoto, adding that the stool is an institution that should be guided jealously.
However, the state government denied the allegation, stating that the law building the traditional ruler’s appointment has not been changed.
TimesNow.com.ng earlier reported that the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Saad Abubakar III, has disclosed that it would take decades for the northwest region to defeat banditry.
The president of the NSCIA then called for a collective effort to fight the region’s menace while reiterating the traditional rulers’ commitment to the fight.
Source: TimesNow.com.ng
