Sokoto Assembly Passes Emirate Council Amendment Bill

The Sokoto State House of Assembly has passed the Sokoto Emirate Council Amendment Bill through the first and second readings.

The amendment bill, if passed into law, will strip the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, of powers to appoint the kingmakers and to appoint district heads without government approval, among other things.

This development comes a day after the Muslim Rights Concern 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, expressed alarm over the potential move, which comes amid controversy and tension following the deposition of several 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, on Monday, cautioned against an alleged plot to remove the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, by the Sokoto State government.

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.