The Sokoto government’s purported plan to overthrow Sokoto Sultan Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar has drawn criticism from the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN).
According to THE MATRIX, there have been conflicting responses both on and off the media to rumors that the governor of Sokoto, Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto, and the Sokoto government are planning to overthrow the respected traditional monarch.
The state administration, however, has rejected these allegations.
The National President of MACBAN, Baba Othman-Ngelzarma, cautioned the government to “walk softly” in a statement released in Abuja on Saturday. He emphasized the need to safeguard and maintain the Sultanate’s institution in the nation.
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Othman-Ngelzarma expressed that the establishment of the Sultanate, which has a history extending back two centuries, should not be manipulated by politicians who were expected to be directing their efforts towards fostering effective governance.
He criticized the supposed indirect attempts to weaken the esteemed Sultan, representing the emblem of Islamic power in Nigeria.
He said, “We believe protecting and preserving the institution of the Sultanate is a cardinal responsibility of every right-thinking personality in the country.
“We call upon the Sokoto State Government, especially the legislature, to tread softly and do all that is necessary to preserve and protect the institution that represents an all-important ideology that created it.
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“Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria is worried by the media reports alleging that the Sokoto Government intends to whittle down the powers of his Eminence the Sultan, Alhaji Saad Abubakar III.”
Othman-Ngelzarma said MACBAN stood firmly with the Sultan, adding, “because we believe he deserves better as he has shown the capacity to uphold justice and equity in all his dealings.
“This is evident in his efforts to propagate religious and ethnic tolerance in Nigeria among diverse groups.
“His background as a military man, his resoluteness to speak the truth and his standing for the poor and underprivileged despite being an aristocrat makes him a model for leaders to emulate.”
