Appointment of the Emir of Zazzau and thereafter

Selecting an emir for any of the large northern emirates, especially those with long histories of monarchies behind, could be a herculean task for the state governors in these dispensations.

Even when the north was one and the Governor of Northern Nigeria had such overwhelming powers, it was a tough task. It is no wonder that Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufa’i, who recently had to contend with the appointment of the Emir of Zazzau, one of the most expansive emirates ever, resorted to flipping through tomes of historical references before arriving at his decision. I am sure he must have been educated and thrilled by his findings.

Among the Fulani emirates of Northern Nigeria, the intrigues involved in the appointment of an emir, be it Kano, Sokoto, Katsina or as recently the case in Zazzau, have always been overwhelming. The process would be far less cumbersome in, say Sokoto, where it would look like a done deal as the Sultan would always in all probability be selected from the descendants of Sultan Bello. It would be the same in Kano where the family of Dabo would always be in contention and in Katsina where only the family of Dikko got appointed emirs since the Dallazawa Fulani clan were dethroned by the colonialists early in that dispensation. But Zazzau had always been unique. It is the only one among the big emirates that had maintained a distinct four ruling houses – the Sullubawa, Barebari, Mallawa and Katsinawa houses – eligible to produce a candidate for the throne of Zazzau whenever a vacancy arises.

The arrangement dated back to those stormy days of the Fulani Jihad in the early 1800s when local Fulani mallams in various Hausa states rose successfully to seize power from their Hausa overlords. In Zazzau, the Fulani flag-bearer, Malam Musa, the progenitor of the Mallawa line was given crucial assistance by other clan heads to drive out of Zaria the last Hausa ruler, Muhammadu Makau, who fled southwards to Zuba. Muhammadu Makau settled in that area where his descendants established the Abuja (now Suleija) Kingdom and till today refer to themselves as Emirs of Zazzau in Abuja. Back in Zaria, the other three clan heads that backed Malam Musa to the throne of Zazzau all retained their large followings, and probably their armouries as well, and successfully became claimants to the throne of Zazzau. And in due course, the clan heads became emirs one after the other.

I recall that in February 1975 when Emir Muhammadu Aminu died, we were in session as students of Kongo campus of ABU Zaria and saddened by the demise of the monarch. But many of us were pleasantly surprised that the prince that had always represented the then ailing Emir Muhammadu Aminu in our campus events was named emir. The prince was none other than the District Head of Zaria city, a 39-year old Alhaji Shehu Idris. It was one of the last major appointments by the Governor of North Central State, Brigadier Abba Kyari, before he left office three months after. And if there were any raised eyebrows to the appointment of the emir, it was muted, and never showed in public. That is despite the heavy presence of much older and more exposed princes in contention, such as Nuhu Bamalli, a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Nuhu Bayero, then Pro-Chancellor of Lagos University.

In the case of Nuhu Bayero, it was even more ironic because his father had prepared him for a day like that in the most unconventional manner imaginable. Nuhu Bayero grew up in the times when the colonial government was settling down in the north as well as unsettling many ways of doing things in the emirates. The emirs had to contend not only with the occupying foreign power but also missionaries of a foreign religion that were hands in gloves with the government. The missionaries were more prominent in Zaria than any other place in the north, where the monarch then, Aliyu Dan Sidi, had decided to accommodate them within the city. When eventually a disagreement brewed up between them, the missionaries engineered his dethronement and banishment to Lokoja where he languished till he died. Nuhu Bayero’s father noted the emerging powers of the missionaries and decided to send his son to their new school as well as allowing him to live with them hoping that at the appropriate time, they would prop him up to the throne. Inevitably, the son became a Christian and remained so for a lot of his adult life. He only retraced his steps much later in life. He died very much accomplished in many other spheres of life but without becoming an emir.

The aftermath of the appointment of the Emir of Zazzau has in recent times been of quietude, despite the intense jostling prior to it. When Shehu Idris was named emir in 1975, his worthy competitors including the present emir’s father, Nuhu Bamalli, paid homage and returned to their normal lives without showing any bitterness. One is therefore at pains to see the acrimony that is emerging now. I hope the elders among the ruling houses will rise to dissolve the bitterness that is becoming public before it gets out of hand.