Cost of daring the Sultan for Gov Aliyu’s political future analysed – Media

By KEMI KASUMU

Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto, the governor of Sokoto State, is one of the first-term governors in Nigeria, who may not win a second term in 2027 if he tries to contest.

Barely one year in office, the governor deposed about 15 emirs in the state alleging them on different offences, a development that may cost him his second-term aspiration.

A few months later, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) raised the alarm that the governor was plotting to depose the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar.

Though the government denied the allegation, a bill to reduce the power of the monarch in the State House of Assembly passed the second reading.

If the bill is passed into law, the Sultan would be stripped of some powers, including the appointments of kingmakers and district heads, without the governor’s input.

While this move may be considered constitutional because of the legislation it passed through, it can cost the governor his second term because Sokoto State and the position of the Sultan are religiously sensitive.

Why Shettima condemned plot to depose Sultan

Citing the danger ahead, Vice President Kashim Shettima urged the state government to protect the Sultan’s position jealously. This will not only prevent religious crises in the North but also free the Tinubu/Shettima ticket off any rumour of supporting the governor to remove the Sultan when the election comes.

Aside from Shettima, Senator Shehu Sani, the former lawmaker in the Eighth Senate, has condemned the move.

Others who have passed their comment against the alleged plot are the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, MURIC’s second release, Attah of Aiyede Kingdom, Ekiti State, Oba Alhaji AbdulMumini Adebayo Orishagbemi, Grand Imam of Akure Kingdom, Sheikh AbdulHakeem Yayi Akorede, Grand Imam of Sepeteri Land, Oke Ogun, Oyo State, Imam AbdulHakeem Raji, Secretary General, Ogun State Muslim Council, Alhaji Kamaldeen Akintunde, Ogun State Wali of The Muslim Congress (TMC), Dr. AbdulRazaq Ogunmoye, and the Secretary General, Ondo State Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Surajudeen AbdulAzeez, the Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN), President of the League of Imams and Alfas, South West, Edo/Delta, Lagos cleric Amir Qamardeen, the AIT/Raypower Muslim Community Imam, Alhaji Muhammad Mujtabah Dawodu, Chairman of Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC), and the Atayero of Aramoko Ekiti, HRH Dr. Olusegun Aderemi, among several others.

Abanikanda Olumoro UK

The DEFENDER published an article by a Nigerian in the Diaspora (United Kingdom), Abanikanda Olumoro, who was specific about the real reason for Governor Aliyu’s action, saying in the article titled, “LET’S UNMASK THE ROOT: Ex-Governor Wamakko not Governor Aliyu has declared the war on the Sultan”.

In the article, Olumoro spilled the beans warning both Wamakko and Aliyu to stop hiding behind one finger as, according to him, there will be consequences tomorrow for their indefensible action daring to desecrate the sanctity of the Usmaniyyah throne and tamper with the occupant and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar.

In a similar occasion, The PUNCH reported that a political source in the state disclosed that the governor and his supporters never hid the impression of deposing the Sultan from their campaigns. The source stated that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) campaigned with a “new government, new Sultan.”

But in The DEFENDER’s publication, Abanikanda Olumoro was explicitly loud, clear and unpitying to let the cat out of the bag as he said, “The Governor of Sokoto State, Engr. Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto, the first Sokoto township indigene to ever govern the state, is now the next Governor of Nigeria to be in the eyes of the storm by his recent action sacking some 15 District Heads in an attempt putting him up like want to rewrite history by now taking upon himself the powers of control of affairs of the Sokoto Caliphate, removing all the powers of the Sultan of Sokoto and reducing him to mere turban giving monarch after he must have ended the business of politically selecting who becomes a traditional ruler (District Head) in the Caliphate. God forbid!”

He continued, “Governor Aliyu should not reopen now in Sokoto, a wound caused by another politician but which Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has succeeded healing in Kano. Half a word is said to the wise children from a good home, when it gets into him, it becomes a whole meaningful word,” he spoke figuratively.

According to the Diasporan who stays outside but focuses all his attention to his home country Affairs daily, “From comfort zone here in the UK, I would want to give to the Sokoto State Governor the best advice any serious state leader would ever be opportune to have by telling how not to allow some vested interests in the political realm of the state push him into starting an anti-institution war that neither he nor those pushing him to start it will be able to finish.

“I am speaking through my only means of communicating being provided by a Nigerian media platform now because I have watched patiently and seen enough since the governor announced those decisions of deposing those District Heads in Sokoto in April 2024 and I have also been able to see that singular action shows that he was out to ridicule the personality of the Sultan but, alas, what I see coming after that will be worse than he plans for the great, world class monarch, because the Sultan is bigger than anyone of the plotters thinks.

“Those actions taken have now sparked controversies as they put the innocent Governor in the eyes of the storm to say that he has declared a war on the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, and his entire Sultanate Council, Sokoto, as he made the decisions under untenable excuses to remove the historic powers embedded in the Sultan, which is a history said to be older than Nigeria itself.

“However, from the look of the Governor Ahmed Aliyu that I know, and he being a Sokoto township son of the soil, I believe he is not responsible for this sacrilege but is being pushed to put a fight against the Sultan and we know that Wamakko is behind all of these things. He should not allow Wamakko to push him into crisis and war he will start but cannot finish.

“Let me be frank with you, Wamakko himself has always said it that Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar helped him especially when he was removed twice as sitting Governor to get back to his seat in the Government House. I am also telling you, during my several visit to Sokoto during Wamakko era, I saw that it was this Sultan who attracted all of the activities that you are saying now making the state boom into the place. Do you want to talk about how several organizations fix their conferences to hold in Sokoto and how airlines now began to operate Lagos-Abuja-Sokoto and Sokoto-Abuja-Lagos or direct Lagos-Sokoto or Sokoto-Lagos route (private) or you want to talk about how all Nigerian religious and traditional institutions and leaderships now see Sokoto as headquarters of culture and history that they now choose to visit? This Sultan, a retired General-turned monarch, has been behind all of those things. It is because of him that people choose to visit Sokoto but Wamakko, who himself was fully a beneficiary of the benevolence of the Sultan during his eight years in power as Governor, is now the one wanting to bite the same finger that fed him.

“Wamakko should also be told that we, as Nigerian lovers and followers of this Sultan, will not hold the current Governor of Sokoto State responsible for show of ungratefulness towards the Sultan as an embodiment of Great Nigerian Institution with his pet project of peace, unity and development of Nigeria. It is him, former Governor Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko that we will hold responsible because we know that he is only using Governor Aliyu to achieve his aim of fighting the unputdownable Sultan. If you go ahead with it, I see regret at the end of it all. Caution, the only way to stop the imminent war before it commences.

“We started hearing this misbehavior of Mamakko ahead of 2019 general elections when his supporters would go to the frontage of the Sultan Palace said, ‘We will have a new government and we will have a new Sultan’. As God would have it then, they failed in the governorship election and Wamakko, as it is now clear to us, and his cohorts at the time failed to convince Retired Major General Muhammadu Buhari’s Presidency in their behind-the-scene campaigns of calumny to make it believe that Sultan of Sokoto His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, mni, was pro-Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) monarch working against the Buhari’s administration.

“We saw it all as they were sponsoring media writes up from saying Sultan took N650 million Nigeria Sokoto State money to buy a private house in Abuja to other reports including those in which they wrote that a very prominent traditional ruler, that is known to be the most influence both in North and entire Nigeria was behind certain insecurity and the rest. They all hid behind one finger and shame would never let them come out place and clean to mention the name of the traditional ruler.

“We thank God that Buhari resisted their evil plots and he is resting peacefully in Daura, Katsina State today. It is also believed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu too will not allow himself to be convinced against the Sultan, first, traditional matter is local and Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto, who we know respect the Sultan so much and well, will not allow somebody who is from nowhere and known not anywhere near royalty to push him to destroying the Usmaniyyah Throne that has been preserved for well over a century.

“We pray that God will help the Governor against a so-called a politician, who after having spent and enjoyed his own eight years tenure as governor of Sokoto State, now on his second term to complete eight years as Senator representing Sokoto North at the Nigerian Senate wants to ruin his career by making him do things that will have adverse effects on his future as a personality and the future of his children and his entire family.

“Sokoto State, like Kano State people, should stand up against this uncharitable and unpatriotic behavior of the politicians whose target is no more or less than to destroy the values of the people of Kano because when the traditional institution and cultural heritage of a people are destroyed, the values are lost. God forbid.

“Say anything you like, I don’t care. You can say the Sultan or his Sultanate Council, Sokoto paid me but, if you cannot prove your allegation of me being paid to put this concern of mine out there in print and in the media space, then, your disgrace is double. It is not my first to defend people who are unjustly treated. I have done it in the defence of Lagos State natives, who are being deprived to govern their own state by some non-indigenes that have dominated their political power since 1999. I am now doing it in defence of Sultan of Sokoto and his son, Governor Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto, against an individual, who thinks life should be all about him and him alone. He lies!” He concluded with a parlance saying, “A stitch in time, the adage says, saves nine!”

Why you can’t dare the Sultan – Analyst tells Sokoto Gov

In a media interview with Legit.ng, Okanlawon Gaffar, a public commentator, called for respect for traditional stools in the country. He lamented:

“We can’t say this is fair or not, the principle that has been exhibited is also the fact that our traditional system is now a mockery of its glory. This does not mean that our traditional system should be above the law principle.

“However, it represents a different kind of leadership, where who gets to be in that position has been determined by culture and tradition.”

With the growing trend, removing the Sultan could anger the majority of voters in the state, and the governor may not have the grace to win the next governorship election.

League of Imams and Alfas

President-General, League of Imams and Alfas, South West, Edo/Delta, Sheikh Jamiu Kewulere Bello, said in his statement titled, “Sultan Abubakar guards himself enough against involvement in politics,” said, “You can approach him for all kinds of help but if you go to this Sultan for help on political matters, asking him to help you to succeed in your political project, he will tell you that he does not understand what you are saying. He will say that all things that can bring embarrassment, disrespect and difficulty to Islam and his faith in Allah as religious and traditional ruler, he is not ready to embark on it.”

The League of Imams and Alfas President General, who went straight into prayers along other Yoruba Imams, Alfas and Islamic groups the moment the news broke out of Governor Ahmad Aliyu’s plot to whittle the powers of the Sultan of Sokoto and Leader of the Muslim Ummah, His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, rose to tge challenge when he came to speak on the development.

He said the Sultan has been so careful and guard himself against any involvement in politics as, according to the Yoruba Land, Edo and Delta Imams and Alfas Leader, Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar stays away from it because he does not want anything that bring untold embarrassment to him, his faith in the Almighty Allah as leader of Muslims in Nigeria and the Muslim Ummah he leads.

In the word of Sheikh Jamiu Kewulere Bello, “This is a very serious matter where you have a Governor Ahmodu Aliyu, who should be proud that he is opportune to be Governor of a state that is so revered as Islamic faith headquarters in Nigeria and so take advantage of that to do great good work and behave well towards the Sultan, his own king that is much more revered all over Nigeria, Africa and worldwide, but chose to not only show disrespect to him but even intends to dismantle the institutions that he leads.

“A governor that wants to live long under the mercy of Almighty Allah will see the importance of the Sultan beyond Sokoto State and, therefore, guard the leader of the Islamic faith in the country jealously, protect and project him well against allowing himself to be more interested in political gains – which will not follow him for long in the life of this world talk less of following him into the grave and before Allah except that it adds to reasons his questioning by his Lord can be more tense – than in Islam, peace and unity of the Ummah.

“Alas! Instead of doing good work and showing respect and high regards towards toward the Sultan, the Sheikh Usman Dan Fodio throne he occupies and the 150 million-member Muslim Ummah of Nigeria that the Sultan leads, Governor Aliyu, a Sokoto Muslim that many are looking up to and who should not himself be an onlooker, has decided not only to wage war against the Sultan of Sokoto because he and whoever is backing him think he should go their own way even if it is against the sanctity of the positions that represents as our leader in Nigeria, but also wage war against Islam. This makes the matter a very serious one,”” Kewulere said.

We are pleased with this Sultan, ready not for another – Yoruba Monarch

President of the OSHAssociation UK, Nigeria Region, and Atayero of Aramoko Ekiti, HRH Dr. Olusegun Aderemi JP, sent a word of caution to Sokoto State Government to consider the consequences of hiding under flimsy excuses to whittle the powers of the revered Sultan of Sokoto and rescind its planned tampering with the tradition and throne of the occupant, His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar.

“We in the South are pleased with this Sultan, His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, mni. We are not ready for another Sultan because this Sultan’s reign has brought about enduring lasting mutual respect among Nigerians and harmony, peace, unity and progress not only to Muslims but also to Christians of the country and the world.

“If we, as leaders and people outside of the revered Sokoto Caliphate could be pricked by the marvelous contribution, stature and feats that this great enigma has garnered to earn his respect as a global citizen, it will only be appalling to note that the people, who are divinely blessed with this kind of enigma and unputdownably pragmatic personality, do not seem to appreciate as displayed in the attitude of Governor Ahmad Aliyu and his government officials.

“At any rate, with the fact that this Sultan is Co-President of World Religions for Peace and has consistently maintained his ranking as one of Top 50 Most Influential Muslims in the World for years now till date and one multifaceted leader that all Nigerians hold in high esteem without looking back on the ground of ethnic and religious coloration, I join those who say ‘we doff our hat’ for the charismatic very amiable Retired General of the Nigerian Army, efficient Ambassador, sportsman and leader of man in saying ‘we stand in solidarity with Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar and that we will not be ready for any other so long he lives.

“And this is just for the Governor and government of Sokoto State to take note and know why this Sultan will be very difficult and impossible for him to remove or tampered with in any way. Above all, none of these politicians in power now engaging in amending local government laws in waging war to undermine the sanctity of traditional institution in Northern Nigeria will want to be remembered by future history of the nation that they are the ones who bastardised the legacy of reformed society left behind by Sheikh Usaman Dan Fodio of blessed memory. And to the rest in other parts of Nigeria, let them not be misled to thinking that political powers do it all. No.

“Traditional rulers of Nigeria deserve their respect and they should be allowed to manage their own affairs independent of government interference only to inform government when they need to formalize decisions taken within themselves. Royalty is about family bond, no politician must interfere to split it, especially in Sokoto as it is said in Yoruba parlance that ‘tomorrow today will be yesterday’,” he said.