Why Lamidon Adamawa dethroned his uncle

The news of the dethronement of the Ubandoman Adamawa and district head of Girei, Alhaji Babayola Mustapha, last Tuesday by the Adamawa Emirate Council in the state certainly came to his teeming supporters and other on lookers within and outside the state as a big surprise. A big surprise because this is the first time […]

The news of the dethronement of the Ubandoman Adamawa and district head of Girei, Alhaji Babayola Mustapha, last Tuesday by the Adamawa Emirate Council in the state certainly came to his teeming supporters and other on lookers within and outside the state as a big surprise. A big surprise because this is the first time a traditional title holder and district head in the emirate will be stripped off his title  since the new Lamido, Dr. Muhammadu Barkindo Aliyu Mustapha ascended the throne of his late father, Lamido Aliyu Mustafa, an elder brother to the dethroned district head.

 

Even though the Adamawa Emirate Council did not advance any reasons for the action, reports indicates that it could not be unconnected with the cat and mouse politics being played between some influential persons in the area, coupled with alleged petitions said to have been written against the embattled district head. Sources said his alleged involvement in partisan politics could be one of the reasons for his removal.

His removal was contained in a letter signed by the Assistant Secretary to the Adamawa Emirate Council, Umaru Yahaya and dated December 14th, 2010.

The dethroned traditional ruler and younger brother to the late Lamido Aliyu Mustapha was reported to have immediately slumped and fainted and was rushed to hospital when the news of the development got to him.

Girei political crisis

It was learnt that the political class in the area is characterized by factional loyalties to Governor Murtala Nyako on one hand and on the other to Senator Jibril Aminu. This was said to have resulted in several clashes, involving the embattled chairman of the council Abubakar Hamman who was suspended from office.

Sources informed Weekly Trust that owing to the protracted political crisis plaguing his domain, the dethroned district head with the support of elders summoned an all inclusive reconciliation meeting to resolve it. The aim was however not achieved as some of the personalities involved declined to reconcile.

It could also be recalled that councillors of Girei Local Government loyal to some influential individuals in Nyako’s administration had dared the state House of Assembly insisting that the controversial suspension of the council chairman Abubakar Hamman stays in spite of a resolution by the lawmakers against the suspension.

The councillors during a preliminary session insisted that their state counterparts have no power to interpret the law, insisting that “it is the responsibility of a court of law do so.’’

While the state lawmakers asked the councilors to stay action on the suspension as the matter is before the court, the council lawmakers claimed that since they have power under the state law to impeach the chairman they also have power to suspend him contrary to the state Assembly resolution that the councilors have no power to do so.

In what looks like a renew impeachment move, the councilors went ahead to suspend the recently re-instated chairman of the council Alhaji Abubakar Hamman.

Abubakar was impeached early this year [February] by the councilors but was re-instated   by a Yola high court which ruled that his impeached did not follow due process.

The state High Court also slammed form 48 (order IX rule 13) on the ‘deviant’ councilors for disobedience of court order, restraining them from taking any action against the chairman.

Land scandal

Even as the supporters of the embattled district head continued to see his dethronement as political, an impeccable source at the emirate told Weekly Trust that he is also currently enmeshed in a land acquisition scandal in some parts of his domain.

“He was accused of illegally acquiring and disposing lands. You know this new Lamido is very strict; I don’t think he can tolerate him despite the facts that he is his uncle,’’ the source has said.

The decision to remove him was said to have been a very difficult one for some members of the emirate. Very reliable insider source told Weekly Trust that the Lamido and his advisers initially settled for his suspension, but the continuous pressure and series allegations against the stripped Ubandoma was said to have weakened this position.

The source was emphatic that public hysteria over the conduct of Babayola Mustafa and the sustained petitions forced Adamawa Emirate Council to dethrone him.

Prominent sons of Girei appeared to have supported the removal of the former district head as they reamined adamant that ‘Ubandoma must go’. A native of the area, Mallum Zubairu Abubakar said Babayola’s reign as the district head of Girei is the worst in the history of the ancient town.“He lacked the comportment, appearance, wisdom and charisma required of the exalted position,’’ Mallum said.

He alleged that the deposed Ubandoma severally led palace guards to construction and building sites in the town to collect taxes and rents as his forefathers did in ancient days. At a point, he forcefully collected illegal fees from indigenes that embarked upon development projects in the town,” he said.

On Tuesday, after the Emirate Council meeting, Assistant Secretary of the emirate announced the deposition and banishment of the local monarch from Girei.

Already, the Lamdio-Katsina Adamawa, Alhaji Hamman Gabdo Bapetel has taken over as the new acting district head of Girei. He has since assumed office.

Efforts to get the deposed district head to speak were impossible as he was said to be indisposed.