Danger, when traditional institutions become partisan

The sultanate is being strongly suspected of engaging in campaigning for the PDP in Sokoto state in preparation for the 2019 general elections. Long speculated of romancing with the state Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, the sultanate is alleged to have deployed foot soldiers across the length and breadth of Sokoto state to canvass support for Tambuwal as well as the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, as the sultanate’s preferred choice in next year election. 

Supporters of the APC are alleging that the sultanate is also targeting President Buhari and Sen. Wamakko in a smear campaign through the promotion of negative propaganda against the person and character of the personalities among the state electorate.

The federal government should caution traditional rulers to disengage in partisan politics or deal with any of them found wanting to serve as a lesson to others. Part of the campaign of calumny against Wamakko was a story published by an online publication, Leadership. nig in which the Sultan was calling on the people not to vote for Wamakko and the Sokoto APC governorship candidate.

 This is unacceptable from a traditional and more so a religious leader, who should carry everybody along and not to be partisan. The news making the round in Sokoto now is the allegation that the Sultanate is wagging a political war against former Governor Wamakko, and the deputy governor, now candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for their decision not to decamp along with Governor Aminu Tambuwal to the PDP. 

Concerned Sokoto indigenes are seriously worried that the sultanate is being fingered as having a hand in the on going name calling against the persons and characters of the Magatakarda and deputy governor Aliyu Ahmed by some Ulamas and marabouts believed to have been recruited to malign their names and integrity before the public.

 To many this campaign against President Muhammadu Buhari and latest mudslinging and campaign of calumny against the APC leadership in Sokoto is a clear manifestation of desperation by the government and its supporters in the Sultanate to save their party and the governor from imminent defeat in 2019 general election. 
The dirty campaign against Senator Wamakko and the deputy governor has been dismissed as wicked and deliberate attempt to disparage them before the good people of Sokoto, because this only exist in the wild imagination of those spreading the story and their sponsors.
The right thinking people in Sokoto have not only dismissed these allegations as wicked and malicious, but are also wondering why the same allegations have not been made against Governor Aminu Tambuwal when the Magatakarda single handedly made him the governor in 2015. 
Today in Sokoto, the unholy involvement of the Sultanate in the state politics has done incalculable damage to the respect and prestige that the institution hitherto enjoyed. Our advice for the sultanate is to quickly retrace its step to save the institution from losing whatever is left of its image and respect.

Sharafadeen Mohammed,
Lugbe, Abuja.

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