19th Emir of Zazzau, Amb Bamalli takes staff of office

The 19th Emir of Zazzau Emirate, Ambassador Ahmad Nuhu Bamalli has been presented with the staff of office by Kaduna state government.

The coronation of the new Emir, held at  Muhammadu Aminu Square, Zaria’s polo club and field had in attendance dignitaries across the country.

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The former Nigerian Ambassador to Thailand was appointed by Governor Nasir El-Rufai on October 7, 2020 following the demise of the 18th Emir of Zazzau, Shehu Idris, who ruled for 45 years.

See videos and pictures of the event below:

The Issues

Prior to the appointment of Ambassador Bamalli as Emir on 7th of October, 2020, the Kingmakers had forwarded names of three Princes to the government of Kaduna state to choose the next amongst them.

Those selected by the Kingmakers were: Iyan Zazzau, Alhaji Bashar Aminu from the Katsinawa dynasty; Yariman Zazzau, Alhaji Muhammed Munnir Jafaru from Bare-bari dynasty and Turakin Zazzau, Alhaji Aminu Shehu Idris also from the Katsinawa dynasty.

The Selection Twist

However, the selection process took a dramatic turn when Governor El-Rufai directed the kingmakers to begin fresh selection of candidates, jettisoning the earlier list submitted to it.

The state government stated that the earlier processes had excluded two untreated applicants including the Bunu Zazzau and the Sarkin Dajin Zazzau, who it said had protested their exclusion in the selection processes.

Another reason it gave for jettisoning the earlier list was that the kingmakers had assessed two candidates on September 24, 2020, without sighting their CVs, which the selectors received a day later.

Many however saw the directive as an excuse to include Bamalli’s name on the list as government officials had confirmed to Daily Trust that the governor was under pressure to compensate the Mallawa dynasty, which has not produced an emir in the last 100 years.

The Legal Battle

Dissatisfied by the selection of Bamalli as new Emir, Iyyan Zazzau, Prince Bashiru Aminu, who top the list earlier submitted by the Kingmakers approached the court to stop the confirmation of Bamalli as the 19th Emir.

Aminu, in his prayer, asked the court to declare him the 19th Emir, after scoring 89 points in the three-candidate shortlist that included Munir Jafaru (87 points) and Aminu Shehu Idris (53 points).

The court however ruled that it cannot stop the coronation of the new Emir saying it would amount to creating vacuum in the leadership structure of the emirate.

The presiding judge, Justice Kabir Dabo, rather said he would give the case instituted by the Iyan Zazzau, Bashar Aminu, accelerated hearing and adjourned to November 18, 2020.