Vice President Kashim Shettima has urged the Sokoto State government to ensure the safety and security of the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar.
Shettima made the call at the North West Peace and Security Summit in Katsina State, emphasizing the Sultan’s significance as a spiritual leader and institution in Nigeria.
The Vice President’s statement comes amid allegations by the Muslim Rights Council of a plot to depose the Sultan, according to Daily Post.
MURIC had warned that any attempt to remove the Sultan would be met with resistance from Nigerian Muslims.
Shettima’s call for protection was seen as a move to calm tensions and ensure the stability of the region.
The Sultan of Sokoto is a revered figure in Nigeria, and any attempt to depose him could have far-reaching consequences.
The vice president said, “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.
“And to the Deputy Governor of Sokoto, I have a simple message for you, 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.”
Meanwhile, MURIC’s Executive Director, Prof. Isiaq Akintola, had alleged a plot to depose the Sultan of Sokoto.
In his statement, Akintola said Nigerian Muslims would reject any thought of deposing the Sultan.
“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.
“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.”
