Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) again raised alarms on Wednesday, claiming the Sokoto State Government is determined to depose Sultan Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III.
MURIC’s latest concern comes despite the Sokoto State Government’s denial of any plan to remove the Sultan.
MURIC Executive Director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, made the new allegation in a statement on Wednesday.
According to Akintola, a bill titled “Sokoto Emirate Council Amendment Bill” has passed through the first and second readings. If enacted, the Sultan of Sokoto will lose certain powers.
On Monday, MURIC claimed that Sokoto State Governor Aliyu planned to depose the Sultan, prompting Vice President Kashim Shettima to urge the state government to protect the Sultanate. The Sokoto State Government denied such plans on Tuesday.
The MURIC director condemned the amendment as an attempt to diminish the Sultan’s influence.
Akintola emphasized that the section of the chieftaincy law empowering the governor to remove the Sultan should be amended.
His statement read, “Reports indicate the Sokoto State House of Assembly is rushing through a bill called Emirate Council Amendment Bill. The bill has passed the first and second readings swiftly.
“If passed, the Sultan of Sokoto will be stripped of certain powers, including appointing kingmakers and district heads without government approval. This bill is outrageous, nauseating, and anachronistic. It is a direct attack on Sokoto State’s traditional institution. Instead of strengthening the Sultan’s powers, it weakens them, making him less relevant in traditional settings.”
MURIC accused the Sokoto Governor of preparing to dismantle the Sultanate Council and set up a personal council under firm government control.
Akintola noted that this could explain the Governor’s removal of 15 traditional rulers in one day.
He added, “Governor Ahmed Aliyu is showing symptoms of fascism, totalitarianism, and prebendalism. Nigerian Muslims are asking, ‘Why the rush?’ Why is the bill being rushed if there is no hidden agenda? The whole exercise suggests political motivation.
“The Governor has been in office for barely a year and has removed 15 traditional rulers. How many will he remove in four years? This is reckless. It is acrobatic administrative reform at breakneck speed. The Governor needs to slow down.
“Were the offences of the 15 traditional rulers who were removed ever published? Were they given a chance to defend themselves? Were the investigation reports made public to conform with democratic norms and global best practices?”
MURIC said that if these procedures were not followed, the removal of the 15 traditional rulers must be revisited, properly investigated by a non-partisan panel, and the findings published.
The statement continued, “The state government denied any plan to remove the Sultan yesterday, but we can see what it is secretly doing now. What explanation does the governor have for the sudden interest in hijacking the Sultanate Council?
“This further proves that Governor Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State is deceiving Nigerian Muslims. It shows a strange crave for absolute power. MURIC calls the attention of Sokoto lawmakers to this disturbing development.
The people of Sokoto State need a stable Sultanate Council. That is our pride. A constantly changing traditional leadership will cause fluctuating values and norms. The citizens will experience blurred vision, nightmarish dreams, and scattered goals.”
