As a result of the violation of due process in the selection of Emir of Zazzau, the legitimacy of the new Emir of Zazzau, Ambassador Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, will continue to be questioned, regardless of time.
For those who violated the due process, the only way to legitimise the Emir is to eliminate the facts on the selection process. Thus, el-Rufai, on behalf of the state government, has decided to sue the most senior kingmaker, Wazirin Zazzau, Alhaji Ibrahim Aminu, on criminal allegations.
The court summons is on the allegation of forgery of Public Seal, Forgery, and using genuine false documents, possessing counterfeit seal and violation of Official Secret Act. Waziri is expected to appear at the Magistrate Court I, in Kaduna, on 15th February 2021.
The court summons rightly highlighted that Waziri is the Chairman of the kingmakers' selection committee and participated in the selection process on 24th September 2020. They ignored the fact that in the absence of an Emir, Waziri is the most senior authority in the emirate, which gives him the authority to liaise with the government and access to information in the emirate.
The letter from Commissioner of Local Government Affairs to the kingmakers to start the selection process did not mention the Official Secret Act should govern it. That means anyone of the contenders can request the kingmakers' selection report. And there is no evidence that he used his discretion to release the document to any authorised person.
As a contender for the Emir of Zazzau, the Late Iyan Zazzau, exercised his right, as a Nigerian, to obtain the kingmakers' selection assessment report. He challenged the appointment of the Emir of Zazzau in Court. However, he died in suspicious circumstances.
All the five kingmakers, who participated in the selection process, had signed the certified true copy of the selection assessment documents. They also sent a sworn copy to the Kaduna High Court when they were summoned to appear on the 18th November 2020.
Why is Waziri being charged, not the other kingmakers? It so happens that Waziri could not be intimidated by the el-Rufai. He has been persistent with the truth. For the new Emir, his legitimacy will remain in question regardless of what he does. Thus, the plan is for the court Magistrate to remand Waziri, when he appears in court on 15th February 2021, on criminal charges. The Emir and the Governor will have blood on their hands if anything happens to Waziri. That will be the second person dying suspiciously with regards to the appointment of the by the Emir of Zazzau. The question is how many casualties will the appointment of Emir of Zazzau have?
As humans, we believe in God and doing good. We must protect evil, especially when it involves killing. God help us all.