DESPITE denial by the Sokoto State government, the state House of Assembly has gone ahead with the passage of a bill for the amendment of the state Emirate Council Law.
When passed into law will strip the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, of powers to appoint kingmakers and district heads without government approval, among other provisions.
The bill on Tuesday passed through the first and second readings.
This development comes a day after the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) raised concerns about an alleged plan by the Sokoto State governor, Ahmed Aliyu, to depose the Sultan of Sokoto.
In a statement on Monday, MURIC’s Executive Director, Prof. Isiaq Akintola, raised an alarm over the potential move which is coming amid controversy and tension following the deposition of a number of monarchs in Kano State.
He stressed that the Sultan’s role is not only traditional but also religious, extending beyond Sokoto to cover all Nigerian Muslims as their spiritual head.
Governor Aliyu had previously removed 15 traditional rulers for various offences.
However, Vice President Kashim Shettima and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday, cautioned against such a move.
The state government, however, 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 had not been changed.
Eighteen-Eleven Media