Justice Kabiru Ibrahim Ahmed of the Sokoto High Court has stopped Governor Ahmed Aliyu from sacking two of the 15 District Heads his government had earlier removed from their seats.
The order followed a separate request from Alhaji Buhari Tambuwal and Alhaji Abubakar Kassim, the District Heads of Tambuwal and Kebbe respectively, who are among those the government sacked.
The state government removed the district heads for insubordination and aiding insecurity in the state.
Justice Ahmed ordered the governor, his Attorney General and the Sokoto Sultanate Council to revert to the status quo, pending the outcome of the suit filed before him by the complainants, who were represented by Prof Ibrahim Abdullahi, SAN.
The court through two orders on June 16, 2024, ordered the defendants, their agents’ servants, privies or assigns or any person acting on their behalf to “maintain status quo and or stay all actions and or further actions in connection with all matters dealing with and or appertaining to the removal and or dethronement of Districts Heads in Sokoto State,” particularly those of Kebbe and Tambuwal, pending the hearing and determination of the motion for interlocutory injunction duly filed before the court.
The judgement is coming as the proposed traditional institution law controversy rages in Sokoto State, with the bill for the amendment of the Local Government Law, affecting the appointment of district and village heads, to confer the government with exclusive power to appoint traditional rulers.
The proposed bill has sparked swift reactions across the country, with the Vice President, Kashim Shettima calling on the Sokoto State Government to regard the Sultan as an idea that must be preserved and protected.
Also, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called for the protection of traditional institution through a constitutional reform that must be protected from the “excesses of state governors”.
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) in two separate statements, also warned the Sokoto State government to desist from its plan of removing the Sultan of Sokoto or whittling his powers.
Sokoto State House of Assembly had on Tuesday passed the bill for second reading which was later referred to a House Committee. A public hearing on the bill is expected to be held next week Tuesday.
