Sokoto: Gov Aliyu Goes After Sultan, Whittle Down Powers

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

Finally, the powers of the Sultanate Council have been whittled down.

The Sokoto State Government, in the past few weeks had been battling to have the State’s 2008 chieftaincy laws amended to achieve that.

It succeeded on Thursday, July 11, 2024, when the bill for the amendment was signed into law by Governor Ahmed Aliyu together with five others which were passed by the State House of Assembly.

With the sokoto State 2024 Local Government and Chieftaincy laws now fully operational, the Sultan has been stripped of the powers to appoint District Heads, Village Heads and other Traditional office holders without the consent/approval of the Governor.

The Sokoto State authorities while pushing for the amendment, insisted that the 2008 Chieftaincy laws, were faulty and  not in consonance with the tenets of the 1999 Federal Republic of Nigeria constitution as amended. It said it usurped the powers of the Governor to appoint people to those offices.

The Source reports that the attempt to amend the law had ruffled some feathers particularly among sympathizers of the Sultanate Council, including Muslim Groups, who feared that the Sultan’s dignity and respect were  at stake.

Some had even raised the alarm that the proposed amendment was ultimately targeted at deposing  Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar.

Governor Aliyu while speaking at the signing ceremony on Thursday, described as unnecessary, the tension preceding the passage of the bill.

He insisted that the amendment of the 2008 laws were informed by the need to enhance good governance culture in the State.

The Governor emphasised that the exercise was not intended to witch hunt and or intimidate any individuals and group of individuals as some people had  believed.

” We note with concern the unnecessary tension created by our proposal to amend some of our laws .Some of the reactions were politically motivated, while others were done ignorantly without care to inquire from  the right quarters about the details and intentions of the amendment.

“Previous administrations in the State had amended one law or the other to give the State laws that were needed to fast track peace and development.

“Let me make it clear that the just amended laws are not meant to witch hunt any individuals or group but to promote good governance and to  remove the ambiguity and inconsistency with the Nation’s Constitution” Governor Aliyu maintained.

There is likely to be negative reactions to the whittling of the Sultanates powers.