- * Kingmakers Elect 7th Emir
By Princess Simon (Bureau Chief North-Central, in Minna)
There is anxiety in Niger state, within Kontagora Emirate in particular, as the king-makers brainstorm to anoint whoever the cap fits most as the 7th Emir to replace the late Sarkin Sudan of Kontagora, Alhaji Saidu Umaru Namaska, who died recently at the age of 84 after 47 years on the throne.
The heir apparent to the Kontagora Emirate throne, Alhaji Bashar Saidu Namaska, also died before the demise of his father, late Umaru Saidu Namaska, (the 6th Sarkin-Sudan) when he was attacked in his farm by suspected armed bandits.
NIGERIAN NEWSLEADER findings indicated that the list of aspirants to the Kontagora Emirate seat included a, 48-year-old, apparently the youngest among the contenders who is also from the Wushishi royal House, Alhaji Shehu Ibrahim Abubakar.
A list of 47 contestants for the Kontagora Emirate seat, signed by the Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Alhaji Shehu Yusuf Galadima, on Saturday, is however a thing of concern to stakeholders who are worried over the large number of applicants.
A contestant to the Kontagora palace throne, according to findings, must also be a prince from the paternal side of the parents, must be well knowledgeable in both Islamic and western education to meet present day realities as the two have to go together.
Other requirements all the contestants are expected to have are; he must be credible and accessible at all time. He must be able to associate with people, must be diplomatic in reasoning and as well generally acceptable, a source from the kingmakers also hinted.
The contestants must be lovers and respecters of tradition as the kingmakers are to consider amongst others; what each of the contestants have done for the society and as well ascertain from them the value they would add to traditional institution on ascension of the throne.
Meanwhile, as part of measures to forestall possible breakdown of law and order, the Niger State Police Command said it has already deployed adequate security personnel to the ancient Kontagora town, ‘because of various interests’.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Niger State Command, ASP Wasiu Abiodun, said, “Security arrangements have been put in place to forestall any form of breach of peace before, during and after the exercise”.
According to the Command’s PRO, “All parties involved in one way or another to the selection of the next Emir of Kontagora are hereby enjoined to play by the rules towards a hitch free selection process”,
Names of aspirants to the Kontagora Emirate stool, Niger state are:
1- NAMASKA SA’IDU HARUNA
SA’IDU NAMASKA ABDULLAHI
GARBA BAWA MASTER
MURTALA MUHAMMAD SHAWAI
IDRIS UMARU SARKIN BAUCHI
SA’IDU CIROMA
IBRAHIM SA’IDU
MUHAMMAD ABUBAKAR DOGO
ISAH IBRAHIM MUKTAR
SHEHU UMARU LACCA
SUDAN IBRAHIM MU’AZU
AHMED MUHAMMAD AWWAL LADAN
AHMED MUHAMMAD
MUHAMMAD BARAU KONTAGORA
MUSA USMAN S.B
SA’IDU MUSA
AHMED ISAH CHIROMA
MU’AZU SARKIN SUDAN ATTAHIRU
SA’IDU NAMASKA NASIRU
ABUBAKAR ATIKU MARAFA
ABDULLAHI S.S IBRAHIM
ISAH TAHIR ALIYU
ARCH (TPL) IBRAHIM YUSUF
AHMADU UMAR
MUAZU SARKIN SUDAN AHMED
MUAZU SARKIN SUDAN GARBA
IBRAHIM UMAR
NASIRU MUHAMMAD ANACHE
ABBAS MUHAMMAD
SHEHU IBRAHIM ABUBAKAR
SHEHU SA’IDU NAMASKA
HANNAFI MUAZU SARKIN SUDAN
SAIDU ABDULLAHI ANACHE
SAIDU UMARU NASIRU
SAIDU NAMASKA SAFIYANU
ABDULLAHI ANACHE MUAZU
AHMED DUBAGARI UMARU
AHMED ƊANBURAM YUSUF
MIKA ANACHE
NASIRU AMADU ƊANBURAM
IYAKU BARAU
MUAAZU SADIQ ABUBAKAR
BUNU IBRAHIM BELLO
ƊAHIRU AHMED MAIRUGGA
NASIRU MUHAMMAD ANGO
AHMAD MUAZU SARKIN SUDAN
TANKO SAIDU MAI MADARA. NNL.
