ANXIETY AS 47 JOSTLE FOR KONTAGORA EMIRATE STOOL

• * 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

2. SA’IDU NAMASKA ABDULLAHI

3. GARBA BAWA MASTER

4. MURTALA MUHAMMAD SHAWAI

5. IDRIS UMARU SARKIN BAUCHI

6. SA’IDU CIROMA

7. IBRAHIM SA’IDU

8. MUHAMMAD ABUBAKAR DOGO

9. ISAH IBRAHIM MUKTAR

10. SHEHU UMARU LACCA

11. SUDAN IBRAHIM MU’AZU

12. AHMED MUHAMMAD AWWAL LADAN

13. AHMED MUHAMMAD

14. MUHAMMAD BARAU KONTAGORA

15. MUSA USMAN S.B

16. SA’IDU MUSA

17. AHMED ISAH CHIROMA

18. MU’AZU SARKIN SUDAN ATTAHIRU

19. SA’IDU NAMASKA NASIRU

20. ABUBAKAR ATIKU MARAFA

21. ABDULLAHI S.S IBRAHIM

22. ISAH TAHIR ALIYU

23. ARCH (TPL) IBRAHIM YUSUF

24. AHMADU UMAR

25. MUAZU SARKIN SUDAN AHMED

26. MUAZU SARKIN SUDAN GARBA

27. IBRAHIM UMAR

28. NASIRU MUHAMMAD ANACHE

29. ABBAS MUHAMMAD

30. SHEHU IBRAHIM ABUBAKAR

31. SHEHU SA’IDU NAMASKA

32. HANNAFI MUAZU SARKIN SUDAN

33. SAIDU ABDULLAHI ANACHE

34. SAIDU UMARU NASIRU

35. SAIDU NAMASKA SAFIYANU

36. ABDULLAHI ANACHE MUAZU

37. AHMED DUBAGARI UMARU

38. AHMED ƊANBURAM YUSUF

39. MIKA ANACHE

40. NASIRU AMADU ƊANBURAM

41. IYAKU BARAU

42. MUAAZU SADIQ ABUBAKAR

43. BUNU IBRAHIM BELLO

44. ƊAHIRU AHMED MAIRUGGA

45. NASIRU MUHAMMAD ANGO

46. AHMAD MUAZU SARKIN SUDAN

47. TANKO SAIDU MAI MADARA. NNL.