Sultan of Sokoto: Accolades for a First Class Ruler

Since ascending the throne on November 2, 2006, HRM Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, the 20th Sultan of Sokoto has ruled the Sultanate with a combination of resilience, empathy and astuteness, bringing to bear his military experience spanning three decades. To commemorate his 15th anniversary on the throne, Chiemelie Ezeobi and Mary Nnah spoke with the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, and his Rivers State counterpart, HRH King Appolus Chu of Eleme Kingdom, respectively, on the qualities that stand the first class ruler out

When a blend of royalty and the military fuse, the end result is an astute, physically and mentally resilient person whose connection to his roots are deeply entrenched in the traditions of his land.

For many, that is what the 20th Sultan of Sokoto, HRM Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar embodies.

Royal Bloodline
Born on August 24, 1956, in Sokoto State, as the youngest son of the 17th Sultan, Sir Siddiq Abubakar III, who held the Sultanate for over 50 years, the present Sultan of Sokoto, HRM Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar is the heir to the two century-old throne founded by his ancestor, Sheikh Usman Dan Fodio.

Spiritual Leader
Also as Sultan of Sokoto, he is considered the spiritual leader of Nigeria’s Muslims and upon ascending the throne of his fathers on November 2, 2006, he has held the Sultanate together in both faith and growth.

Military Career
Many decades before his ascension to the throne, the Sultan forged a career for himself in the military. After attending Barewa College in Zaria, Kaduna State, he proceeded to the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) in 1975 where he was a member of the 18th Regular Course.

According to Wikipedia, Abubakar was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in 1977 and served in the elite Armoured Corps. He headed a presidential security unit of the Armoured Corps that guarded then military ruler General Ibrahim Babangida in the late 1980s.

He also commanded a battalion of African peacekeepers in Chad during the early 1980s as part of the Organisation of African Unity’s force and was military liaison officer for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in the mid 1990s.

Afterwards, he was appointed Commanding Officer 241 Recce Battalion, Kaduna in 1993. From 1995 to 1999, he was ECOWAS military liaison officer and commanding officer, 231 Tank Battalion (ECOMOG Operations) in Sierra Leone from 1999 to 2000.

From 2003 to 2006, he served as Defence Attaché to Pakistan (also accredited for Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Afghanistan) and retired as a Brigadier-General.

Ascension
On November 2, 2006, Abubakar ascended the throne of his forebears following the death of his brother, Muhammadu Maccido, on ADC Airlines Flight 53.

The Sultan is a Peace Builder- President Buhari
To commemorate his 15th anniversary as the leader of Muslim Ummah and Chairman, Sokoto State Council of Traditional Rulers, President Muhammadu Buhari congratulated the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III.

President Buhari in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu la described the Sultan as a “peace builder and a true embodiment of commitment to service, a leader who dedicated his life to the welfare of the people”.

The Sultan is Humble- Oluwo of Iwo

To get further insight on the man behind the throne, THISDAY spoke exclusively with the Oluwo of Iwo land, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi.

Paying encomiums on the first class ruler, the Oluwo of Iwo, described the Sultan as a humble man, who doesn’t look down on people.

Citing an example of his humility, he said: “The Sultan is very humble; he shakes everybody.
Even you’ll see his people will never shake him but Sultan will come and shake everybody, even my own people. He has shaken my own Dongoyaro (..sic).”

On his tolerance level, which he said is second to none, he noted that “the Sultan doesn’t have any problem with people. Even the people that abuse us, you’ll still see Sultan talking and greeting them.”

Creating a picture of a simple yet lively-spirited persona he further described the Sultan as “a jovial and loving person to be with. If you get close to the Sultan and you know him you will laugh all day. He knows how to make jokes that he won’t even laugh at.

“People who are making skits can’t make people laugh like Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar because when he talks like this, and he has that turban and covered his mouth so he talks and people won’t know that he’s talking and you by his side when you hear what he said you’ll be laughing.

“People will be like what is this one by the side of Sultan laughing about. Sultan will be like “I’m not the one oh”. So he’s a great man with a great personality.”

The Sultan Understands the Secret of Life- King Chu

Also, his Rivers State counterpart, HRH King Appolus Chu of Eleme Kingdom, harped on the Sultan’s humility. He said: “The Sultan I know does not insult or disrespect people in any way. In fact, he doesn’t give room for anything like that around him.

“The Sultan of Sokoto that I know, personally, is one of the most humble, approachable and sociable traditional rulers we have in this country today.

“He is the kind of person that people naturally love to associate with. There are so many people in this country that people do not associate with because of the way they carry themselves. The Sultan is not like that. The Sultan is not in the category of persons that disrespect or disregards others because of his position.

“He respects everyone. He is a down-to-earth leader who has the rare ability of being able to carry everybody along regardless of status or personality. He doesn’t assume any airs, whatsoever. I have dined with him, from the same plate, on different occasions. I have visited him at different times, both home and abroad, and each time he personally walked me and my aides to our vehicles to see us off.

“His warm and hospitable nature is also why he has been able to successfully bring the people of the Northern region of the country – Christians and Muslims, politicians and non politicians – together to address issues affecting the North and Nigeria in general.

“His ability to reach out to people, regardless of their status, tribe or religion is what has given him the popularity he enjoys among Nigerians today and endeared so many of us to him.

“He is a man who understands the secret of life and knows what it takes to earn respect from people. He doesn’t lobby for loyalty from those that know him, but earns their loyalty by the way he respects himself and respects others.

“His ability to mix freely with everyone is one reason why the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria, which he co-chairs with the Ooni of Ife, has become the focal point of national integration in recent times.

“In the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria, he is on record for saying that “Kings are equal, regardless of the classification of their stools, whether first class or one hundredth class”.

“In one of our meetings at the National Council of Traditional Rulers, he came down from the high table set aside for the leaders of the body and said there shouldn’t be any high table because all the traditional rulers are equal.”

Going beyond the torrent of encomiums that poured in, the Sultan held his 15th anniversary public lecture centred on promoting peaceful coexistence between ethics and religious differences in the country.

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His ability to reach out to people, regardless of their status, tribe or religion is what has given him the popularity he enjoys among Nigerians today and endeared so many of us to him. He is a man who understands the secret of life and knows what it takes to earn respect from people
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