Vice President Kashim Shettima has called on the Sokoto State government to safeguard the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar.
Speaking at the North West Peace and Security Summit in Katsina State on Monday, Shettima emphasized the Sultan’s national significance.
“In all developmental issues in this country, His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto, I want to use him as a point of reference to recognise and appreciate all our royal fathers present here,” Shettima stated. Addressing the Deputy Governor of Sokoto, he added, “Yes, the Sultan is the Sultan of Sokoto, but he is much more than that; he represents an idea, he is an institution that all of us in this country need to jealousy guard, protect, promote, preserve, and project for the growth of our nation.”
Shettima’s remarks follow concerns raised by the Muslim Rights Council (MURIC). MURIC’s Executive Director, Prof. Isiaq Akintola, alleged a plot to depose the Sultan. Akintola warned that Nigerian Muslims would oppose any such move, highlighting the Sultan’s significant religious and traditional role.
“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,” Akintola stated. “MURIC advises the governor to look before he leaps.
The Sultan’s stool is not only traditional; it is also religious. In the same vein, his jurisdiction goes beyond Sokoto. It covers the whole of Nigeria. He is the spiritual head of all Nigerian Muslims.”
