The Sokoto State House of Assembly has passed a bill seeking to reduce the powers of the Sultan of Sokoto for first and second reading, Punch reports.
The bill, titled the Sokoto Emirate Council Amendment Bill, if passed into law, seeks to, among other things, strip the sultan of powers to appoint the kingmakers and will also strip the sultan of powers to appoint district heads without government approval, among other things.
Recall that the Sultanate Council has been responsible for shortlisting and Submitting recommendations of three Candidates to the Governor for approval.
It has been the Governor, who approves One of the recommended Candidates for appointment as District or Village Head. It is at this point that the Sultanate Council conveys the Governor’s approval to the appointee and subsequently arrange for his turbanning by the Sultan.
It was only in 2007, during the reign of Governor Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, when the Law was amended to give Sole Powers to the Sultan to appoint Village Heads without recourse to the State Government. This has been the practice up to date.
However, the essence of resubmitting this bill for amendment is not in any way intended to alter the already existing Powers of the Governor or the role of the Sultanate Council in the appointment of District and Village Heads.
This development follows rumours which went viral that the Sokoto state government is allegedly plotting to depose the Sultan.
Governor Ahmed Aliyu had earlier deposed 15 traditional rulers for various offences, and there are rumours that the Sultan might be next in line.
The rumours prompted the Vice President of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima, to declare on Monday that the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, is much more than just the Sultan.
According to Shettima, the Sultan is an institution that must be guarded and protected jealously, adding that the Sultan goes beyond Sokoto and represents an idea that belongs to the entire country.
The Vice President stated this at the North West Peace and Security Summit held in Katsina State.
In response, the Sokoto State government denied any plan to dethrone the monarch, describing the allegation as false.
The state Commissioner for Information, Sambo Danchadi, explained that the law guiding the appointment of traditional rulers in the state has not changed.
Danchadi described that allegation as “the imagination of MURIC and the opposition in the state.’’