A former vice presidential candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance party in the 2023 general election, Comrade Abdullahi Koli, has condemned the growing trend in parts of the North whereby threats of dethronement is now the order of the day.
Koli, who termed the recent threats against the region’s traditional institutions as misplaced priority, urged the sitting governors to focus on providing the dividends of democracy to the people.
According to him, the shift on focus by politicians to unseat traditional rulers
is totally against the will of the voters who hired the politicians to take the lead.
Koli, who was is a former union leader, told Arewa PUNCH in an exclusive interview on the emirship tussle in Kano, reforms of the constitution in Sokoto, and the recent query by the Katsina State Government to the Emir of Katsina, recalled that even the colonial masters had benefited from the wealth of wisdom of traditional institutions which explains the success of their mission to Africa.
He expressed worries that “the trend of clashes between traditional institutions and government has historical records of an allegation of insubordination against the government.
“The first traditional ruler to be dethroned in the North was Abubakar Dallaji of Katsina. He was deposed in the 19th century by the colonial masters.
“And according to history, there is no part of this country where the traditional rulers didn’t go to war against the colonial masters all in their bid to defend their territorial integrity. Unfortunately, today, we are all forgetting the roles played by the traditional institutions.”
The unionist reminded that more than any part of the country, traditional institutions were mostly respected and honoured in the North, thus, explaining further that this resulted from how the institution blended with the religion and culture of the people.
Continuing, Koli maintained, “Whenever you destroy this institution down here, it is equivalent to destroying the people’s religion and culture which will lead to waywardness among the subjects.”
He blamed the reforms of the 1976, by Muhammad Dasuki for what led to the development of the faith of our traditional institutions.
He opined that “when Dasuki made such reforms, he was less aware that he was going to become the Sultan.”
While commenting on the rising issues between the Sultanate Council and the Sokoto State Government, Koli derided the government’s claim of not planning to tamper with the Sultanate.
He insists that the lack of unity among religious leaders and the traditional institutions is what is the cause of the recent crisis, which will ultimately lead to the undevelopment of the affected areas and the north generally.
“What is happening in Kano and Sokoto and other states’ traditional institutions, for example, if it were in those days, I swear you can not attempt to unseat an emir.”
The APGA politician concluded that “what is happening is purely glorifying personal interests which will not benefit the poor.
“What the politicians should be focusing on at the moment is our population and economy. And how to improve the standard of living of our people. Unfortunately, instead of even containing insecurity, they are now focused on destroying traditional institutions,” Koli stated.
He further pointed out, “Instead of seeing the need to improve agriculture in the region, our governors are following the trend of dismantling the seats of the emirs and this will force voters to be politically apathetic.
“The poor will not even come out to vote if the leaders’ focus of coming to power is to destroy the traditional institutions.”
He asserted that the trend is looking more like a contract to destroy the traditional institutions, and if not properly checked, not a single ruler will escape it.
Koli advised politicians to “reassess their style of governance in tandem with the electoral promises they made to their people with a view to honestly conclude if they indeed have not been focusing on misplaced priorities that will neither colour their legacies nor benefit their selfishness.”
He reminded that unlike traditional institutions, political tenure is limited, and the harm they inflict will affect the institution forever.