Yoruba Muslim Paramount Ruler says Sultan not of Sokoto alone but entire Nigeria, calls for fasting, prayers for his protection
By KEMI KASUMU
The dust raised by Sokoto State government’s plans to depose the Sultan of Sokoto and leader of over 100 million Muslims of Nigeria, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, appears not going to be settled in time soon as the resistance has now entered the Southern part of the country.
This is as the Chairman of Ekiti State Muslim Traditional Rulers Council and Attah of Aiyede Kingdom, Oba Alhaji AbdulMumini Adebayo Orishagbemi, said in a statement circulated to the media Tuesday night that there was no way for such idea because Sultan is not of Sokoto alone but of the entire country.
The statement, personally signed by one of 16 most powerful traditional rulers in Ekiti State, read in details that, “The attention of the Chairman, Ekiti State Muslim Traditional Rulers Council and Attah of Aiyede Kingdom, Ekiti State, has been drawn to disappointing reports of some politicians in Sokoto State plotting to depose our quintessential monarchy administrator in Nigeria, Sultan of Sokoto and President General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, mni.
“On behalf of all Muslim traditional rulers in Ekiti State and, by extension, Yoruba Land, I declare our rejection of the plans to the dethrone the Sultan and call on all Muslims of South West and across Nigeria to set this coming Thursday of June 27, 2024 aside for fasting and prayers for the protection and safety of the Sultan and his Usmaniyyah Throne against the plots of enemies, who have decided in their own wishful thinking to bring down the doing-well leader, over some flimsy untenable excuses, for refusing to get involved in playing politics.”
It said, “The 20th Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, son of late 17th Sultan Siddique Abubakar III, is Sultan of Sokoto but his jurisdiction transcends the boundaries of the Sokoto Caliphate to all the length and breadth of the entire Nigeria and beyond as I am also privileged to know that his Sultanate covers nine provinces in the Republic of Niger and he is Co-President of the World Religions for Peace Headquarters in New York.
“So, for this reason and more, we call on all Muslims and all other human creatures of Allah, who have benefitted from the goodwill and selfless leadership of the Sultan since he ascended the throne on November 2, 2006, to stand up for the multifaceted leader and pray for him not to be overcome by enemies, who are hiding in the dark to throw pebbles of destruction at him on the throne.
“We will, however, seize this opportunity to call on the Governor of Sokoto State to know that, as a Sokoto township’s son of the soil, it takes the grace of God for him to be the first from the town to govern the state and he should not allow himself to be pushed into distorting the Caliphate’s pre-Nigeria tradition in a way in history that he will not want to be remembered for.
“No political interest should be more important to Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto than the good name of being the first Sokoto township son of the solid that improves on the Sultanate better than he met it not to destroy the traditional and religious values of the Caliphate system.
“We pray for continued success and greatness of Sokoto Caliphate just like we pray for our own Ekiti State kingdom and Yoruba Land and Nigeria. May Almighty Allah guide our leaders to lead Nigerians through the right path to the better Nigeria of our dream. Amiin.”
