Sokoto governor denies plot to depose Sultan

Sokoto State Government has denied allegations of a plot by the government to dethrone the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III.

The government said the allegations by Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) were just to create an unfriendly atmosphere and fear in the minds of the law-abiding and peaceful citizens of the state.

MURIC on Monday in a statement by its executive director, Prof. Isiaq Akintola, alleged that Governor Ahmad Aliyu plotted a move to depose the Sultan.

Akintola also noted that feelers in circulation indicate that the governor may descend on the Sultan of Sokoto any moment from now “using any of the flimsy excuses used to dethrone the 15 traditional rulers whom he removed earlier.”

According to him, the Sultan’s role is not only traditional but also religious, extending beyond Sokoto to cover all Nigerian Muslims as their spiritual head.

But Chief Press Secretary to governor Abubakar Bawa in a statement Tuesday, said MURIC should not be seen as the type that will be dancing to the tunes of enemies and mischief makers “trying to take away the attention of the good people of Sokoto state and Nigerians on the transformative initiatives taking place in Sokoto State over the last one year”.

Bawa explained that the present administration just like the previous administrations in the state cherishes and respects the Sultanate Council long before MURIC was established.”

He said the Sultanate Council, which has a long-standing historical importance is so reverred to all the people of Sokoto State, adding that “we still hold the institution in very high regards and esteem”.

Bawa said: “This is not the first time stories such as this were fabricated to show that all is not well between the state government and the Sultanate Council, as some few months back we had a similar obnoxious story which the state government categorically condemned and denied in whole”.

“From the look of things, those nefarious detractors and distracting enemies of progress have not relented in their failed efforts to smear the cordial relationship existing between the state government and the Sultanate Council”

“MURIC should have cared to find out if there was ever any query, warning or any threatening documents served on the sultan by the state government.”

While reminding MURIC that promoting Islamic affairs is the second item on the Ahmed Aliyu’s nine-point Smart Agenda, Bawa maintained that “Islam means so much to the present administration, coupled with the fact that Sokoto being the Seat of the Caliphate, is a 100 per cent Muslim-dominated society.”

“It is on record that no administration in the history of Sokoto State has done to Islam what the present administration has done in just one year. This we say without any fear of contradictions”, he added.

Bawa said for any one to think that the present administration could engage in acts or actions that could jeopardize the development of Islam is not only unfair but unjustifiable.

He said to put the records straight, “we would like to tell the world that the relationship between the Ahmed Aliyu-led administration and the Sultanate Council under the leadership of our most respected monarch, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar has been very cordial.

“The present administration always consulted with His Eminence, the Sultan on issues affecting the state, and his invaluable contributions and inputs are always respected and included in policy implementation.”

Explaining why some District Heads in Sokoto State were sacked and transferred, Bawa said MURIC should know that the affected District Heads were accused of some unbecoming behaviours, such as land racketeering, aiding insecurity as well as insubordination to the constituted authority.

He stated that to give a fair hearing a committee set up by the State Government summoned all the affected District Heads, after which it came up with a whitepaper report, advising the government on what to do.

“And it was based on the report and in the public interest that the state government acted in conformity with the recommendations made by the whitepaper committee.

”It is equally important for MURIC to note that nobody is above the law, therefore, the sacked District Heads are just reaping what they saw, and that the action taken by the Sokoto State Government was indisputably in the best public interest.”