The Sokoto State House of Assembly clarified on Tuesday that the lawmakers have received no bill before them seeking to dethrone the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar.

According to the House, the bill before them only seeks to strengthen the activities of the Sultanate Council of Sokoto.

Bello Idris (APC-Gwadabawa North), the House majority leader, made this assertion while addressing journalists after the assembly’s plenary session.

Upon resuming from its one-month recess, the assembly deliberated on three executive bills.

They included a bill for a law to further amend the Sokoto State Local Government Law, 2008, to provide for the tenure of the local government council and for related matters.

The second one was a bill for a law to repeal the Sokoto State Prohibition of Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities Law No. 1 of 2021.

The third one was a bill for a law to provide for the establishment of the State Tenancy Control and Safety of Persons Agency.

Mr Idris emphasised that the current state administration highly values and respects the Sultan and the Sultanate Council and it is committed to protecting the dignity of the revered institution.

“A bill to dethrone the Sultan for what crime? This could not and will never happen.

“We at the State Assembly have not received any law attempting to remove the Sultan but instead to strengthen his powers, guard, protect, and promote the institution,” he explained.

The House leader urged the public to disregard any reports of an attempt to dethrone the Sultan, describing such information as a mischievous act.

The three bills have since passed the second reading at the plenary and have been referred to the House Committees on Local Government, Social Welfare and Human Rights, and Donor Agencies, respectively.

(NAN)