The government of Sokoto State urged Vice-President Kashim Shettima to confirm the validity of his remarks before to disclosing them to the open.
This request is in response to what Shettima said during Monday’s inaugural North-West Security Summit in Katsina.
During his address, the vice president commended the sultan of sokoto, calling him a symbol of harmony and an ideal that needs to be shielded and advanced for the development of the country.
“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,” Shettima had said.
Before the vice president made his remarks, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) had asserted that the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Abubakar, was about to be removed from office by the Sokoto administration.
MURIC encouraged Ahmad Aliyu, the governor of Sokoto, to exercise prudence and not meddle with the Sultan’s established religious and traditional institutions.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the chief press secretary for the Sokoto governor, Abubakar Bawa, refuted reports that the state government attempted to remove the Sultan.
“The Sokoto state government has called on our Vice-President Kashim Shettima to always cross check facts before commenting on sensitive national matters,” the statement reads.
“We sincerely expected the Vice-President to have consulted the governor before going public.
“The state government urges Vice-President Shettima as No 2 citizen to have a full knowledge on issues of national concern before commenting on them.
“As an elder statesman and a father to all, he should have facts and figures before judging on issues raised by mischief makers and the mushroom social media handlers known for negative propaganda.
“The fact of the matter is that there was never any attempt to sack the Sultan nor have we sent him any threat regarding that.
“Sultan enjoys all the powers he is entitled to. We never denied him any of his freedom or rights.
“We, therefore, do not need to be told to guard, protect, and promote the Sultan. It is our sole responsibility.
“The government and people of Sokoto cherish and adore the sultanate council and would do everything possible to protect the dignity of the revered institution.”
