One of the contenders for the throne of Zauzau Emirate, Alhaji Bashir Aminu, has taken to court to seek redress over what he term as the violation of selection process of the Emir by the Kaduna State government.
Alhaji Aminu, who was most likely the preferred choice of the kingmakers, is suing the state government for scuttling the selection process to favour an unqualified Candidate who was earlier disqualified by the Kingmakers.
The aggrieved Iyan zazzau, while buttressing gross violation in the laid down rules and procedures for the appointment of an emir in the emirate, sought for an injunction restraining the official presentation of staff of office to the new Emir.
In his contention, Alhaji Bashir said that all princesses are eligible to contest but few were qualified having been subjected to a selection process by the kingmakers, following certain criteria that needed to be fulfilled.
He disclosed that Ahmed Nuhu Bamali did not meet the requirements of the kingmakers as he did not satisfy one of the criteria requiring that a nominee should have been a council member and district head for at least 5 years of which Ahmed had never held either office.
“Emirs are made not muddled hence the need to respect traditional laid down principles to selecting one.
The Court documents in which he sued the state government, show that Mr Aminu sued Mr El-Rufai and nine others in the suit seeking to quash Mr Bamalli’s appointment.
The court filings signed by Yunus Usman, a senior advocate of Nigeria, seeks 10 reliefs from the court.
Aside Messrs El-Rufai and Bamalli, Mr Aminu also joined the Kaduna State Attorney General, Kaduna Council of Chiefs, Zazzau Emirate Council and the five kingmakers as parties to the suit.
Mr Aminu prayed the court to validate the selection process of the Zazzau kingmakers which placed him ahead of two other princes and excluded Mr Bamalli from the shortlist.
He argues that the appointment of Mr Bamalli contravened Chiefs (Appointment and Depositions) Law Cap 21 of 1991.
Mr Aminu wants the court to declare the appointment as “irregular, illegal, unconstitutional, unjust inequitable and contrary to good conscience, null and void and of no effect whatsoever”.
He also asked the court to declare that he was “duly and properly selected/elected and appointed as the Emir of Zazzau (Zaria) by the traditional kingmakers of Zazzau in accordance with Zazzau Native Law, Custom and Tradition.”
He also wants the court to bar Mr Bamalli from declaring himself as the emir of Zazzau and to stop the state government from proceeding with Mr Bamalli’s coronation as the Zazzau emir.
Also in his plea, the Iyan Zauzau prayed the court to halt presentation of staff of office to the emir and seek justification of bribery allegations on the kingmakers by Governor El-Rufai, else they demand for an apology and damages.
He also wished the court to compel the state government to justify its authority to install a person who was not recommended by the Kingmakers as Emir; and to defend the parameters they used to select him since he didn’t satisfy one of the criteria that says a nominee should have been a council member and district head for at least 5 years.
On his timeline, Tukur Dan Muazu, expressed disgust over the manner in which the governor rubbished the sacred traditional stool of the emirate saying that, “there is nothing traditional about his installation”.
He maintained that if the Governor cannot respect the traditional process and wishes of the emirate, people of Zauzau Emirate cannot respect his untraditional imposition, emphasizing that “As far as I am concerned Zazzau emirate is vacant of a traditional Emir. No man can violet our traditions and expect our loyalty. His untraditional choice may wrap his body with a thousand bale of cloth and continue to occupy the palace, but he will never have place in our heart”.
Dan Muazu laid bare his bitterness on how administrators make jest of traditional institutions, depriving them of the independence and traditionalistic outlook and leadership, by committing sacrilege against the peoples’ heritage.
“If a governor can at will pick anyone outside of the kingmakers’ list, what then is traditional about such a process? This is a coup against our tradition.
“I thought we have passed the colonial era when white conquerors used to use force of arms to depose and impose. Alas! Sixty years after independence here is a black neocolonialist who claims to be educated and enlightened sending trucks of armed security to ensure imposition of an emir. This is shameful backwardness”, he said.
Dan Muazu commended the conduct of Zazzau people who refused to give El-Rufai armed security any chance to go berserk, noting that, “We Zaria people know how to peacefully register our dissatisfaction. El-Rufai has no need to send gun wielding men to make his boy sit in the palace. Let him sit, but our silence shall disturb his peace”.
“It is already noted that since the beginning of the emirate this is the first time the people of Zazzau gave a cold shouldered welcome to a new emir. He met only curious kids and few men at arrival at the palace. The expected mamoth joyous crowd was missing.
“This is most unfortunate that Zazzau emirate is being dragged into the dishonourable path of conflict other emirates had fallen into. This is one of the negative legacies with which we shall remember El-Rufai. He has created needless trouble and destroyed mutual trust”, Tukur Dan Muazu concluded.
El rufai’s folly was made visible when he failed to understand that power has limitations and is subject to rules and regulations.
Though he may be well educated, but is certainly not smartly informed as reading those archaic books ought to have been replaced with knowing what it entails to be emir of zazzau so as to effectively qualify his preferred candidate.
Even if he wanted to use the power of government to perpetuate Ahmed in office, he ought to have sent an urgent draft to the state assembly for urgent consideration to do away with impediments that could go against his preferred candidate.
Had he done that, the aggrieved will be challenging the legality of that passed law rather than the reverence of the newly appointed emir.
Recalled that Governor El-Rufai had sent back the list of the three most qualified candidates for the throne presented to him by the kingmakers.
He alleged that there were irregularities in the process of selection of the prospective Emir which did not include his preferred candidate and his uncle Ambassador Ahmed Nuhu Bamali.
Hope against hope, the hope of the people was dashed as the Governor crowned his uncle the Emir.