Sultan, Ahmadu Bello’s Grandson, Danbaba Reconcile

Chinedu Eze

The grandson of the late Sardauna of Sokoto and Premier of the defunct Northern Region, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Hassan Danbaba, has been reconciled with the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Mohammed Saad Abubakar III.

THISDAY gathered that the reconciliation was brokered by a committee made up of the Emir of Gwandu, Mustapha Haruna Jokolo, Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II and Emir of Kotangora, Saidu Namaska.

The three emirs were said to have arrived at the Sultan’s palace in Sokoto at the weekend to resolve the issues between the two eminent members of the Sultanate Council.
Danbaba holds the office of Magajin Garin Sokoto.
The disagreement between the Sultan and Magajin Garin became public last week when Danbaba abdicated his position as kingmaker.

THISDAY learnt that the Emir of Kano flew to Birnin Kebbi to pick the Emir of Gwandu and they arrived together to meet the Emir of Kontangora at the palace of Sultan, along with the Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tanbuwal.

The mediation meeting was said to have started by 5p.m. and ended by 5:30p.m. with the Magajin Garin Sokoto who entered the Sultan’s palace with only a cap, emerge with a turban, indicating that reconciliation had taken place.

Palace sources said the mediators asked Danbaba to apologise to the Sultan, drawing his attention to the fact that as Sultan, Saad Abubakar is a father figure to him.

“The mediators took their time to get the Magajin Garin Sokoto to see reason why he should be the one to apologise to the Sultan. He eventually apologised and his apology was accepted by the religious leader,” THISDAY gathered from eye witness account, as northern royal fathers were said to be disturbed by the lingering rift between the two important figures in the seat of the Caliphate.

Danbaba, according to reports, had previously walked out on the Sultan and rejected his title after effort to resolve the rivalry between him and the zonal Vice Chairman the of All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir failed.

Abdulkadir, also a former Minister of Youth Development, is contesting for the post of Marafan Sokoto, which became vacant with the death of Umaru Shinkafi.

Danbaba, it was gathered, had expressed his opposition to Abdulkadir’s bid for the prestigious title.
There were reports that quoted the Magajin Garin Sokoto to have traced the problem to the misgivings expressed by family members that should not have been made public.

“Whatever happened is in the past and will not happen again. I hasten to tell you that whatever you may have heard or read about the Sultan and myself is no longer in the domain of a conflict that all of us should fret about,” Magajin Garin was quoted to have said, adding: “The Sultan is my father and religious leader and I have applogised already.”