The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has expressed worry about Sokoto State Governor Ahmed Aliyu’s purported attempt to remove Sokoto Sultan Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III.
In a statement released on Monday, MURIC’s Executive Director, Prof. Isiaq Akintola, voiced concern over the probable move, which comes amid controversy and tension following the deposition of numerous Kano monarchs.
Aliyu has previously ousted 15 traditional rulers for a variety of violations.
Akintola stated, “Nigerian Muslims reject any thought of deposing the Sultan. 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.”
He emphasised that the Sultan’s position is both traditional and religious, extending beyond Sokoto to include all Nigerian Muslims as their spiritual leader.
“MURIC advises the governor to look before he leaps. The Sultan’s stool is not only traditional. It is also religious. In the same vein, his jurisdiction goes beyond Sokoto. It covers the whole of Nigeria. He is the spiritual head of all Nigerian Muslims,” Akintola said.
Akintola urged Aliyu not to provoke Nigerian Muslims into taking severe action, citing historical precedence.
“A military governor, Colonel Yakubu Muazu, exposed this soft underbelly when he deposed Sultan Ibrahim Dasuki on April 20, 1996. Nigerian Muslims will be forced to make a hard decision if Sokoto governors continue to diminish the authority of the Sultan.”
He further stated, “For the avoidance of any doubts, Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar is not only the Sultan of Sokoto but the Sultan of the Nigerian people.
“His performance and style of leadership have warmed him into the hearts of Nigerians.”
Akintola argued that if Sokoto’s government continues to undermine the Sultan, Nigerian Muslims may choose Islamic scholars as their leaders rather than traditional monarchs.
“It will be a farewell to the leadership of traditional rulers over the NSCIA and an irreversible departure from Sokoto’s privileged leadership position. But history will not be kind to Col. Yakubu Muazu and Ahmed Aliyu for ruining the chances of Sokoto.”
He warned that repeating such actions against the Sultan would not be tolerated by the Muslim Umma.
“Once is happenstance, twice is a coincidence, and the third time is enemy action. If the deposition of a Sultan and NSCIA leader happens a second time, Nigerian Muslims will not allow the embarrassment to happen a third time.”
MURIC urged the Sokoto State House of Assembly to examine the state’s chieftaincy statutes and exempt the Sultan of Sokoto.
“MURIC reiterates its call on the Sokoto State House of Assembly to either repeal or review the state’s chieftaincy laws by adding the phrase ‘except the Sultan of Sokoto’ to Section 6, Cap 26 of the Laws of Northern Nigeria, which empowers the state governor to depose the emirs, including the Sultan.”
Akintola urged Northern elites and Islamic scholars to respond quickly.
“This is the time to lobby the Sokoto State House of Assembly and the governor himself. If the chieftaincy laws of Kano State can be repealed within 24 hours, nothing stops those of Sokoto State from being reviewed in favour of immunity for the office of the Sultan in a single day to save Nigerian Muslims from humongous embarrassment.”
At the time of filing this report, the Sokoto State government had yet to respond to MURIC.
Initially, it announced plans to alter Section 76 of the Local Government and Chieftaincy Law to reflect actual state practices.
Currently, the Sultanate Council makes recommendations for district and village head appointments, but the governor makes the final decision.
