Sokoto Caliphate - The Sultan of Sokoto During Colonialism and Independent Nigeria

The Sultan of Sokoto During Colonialism and Independent Nigeria

The British established the Northern Nigeria Protectorate to govern the region which included most of the Sokoto empire and its most important emirates. Under Luggard, the various Emirs were provided significant local autonomy thus retaining much of the political organization of the Sokoto Caliphate. The Sokoto area was treated as just another emirate within the Nigerian Protectorate and because it never was connected with the railway network it became economically and politically marginal.

However, the Sultan of Sokoto remained an important spiritual and religious position for the Muslims of the region and lineage connection to dan Fodio remains. One of the most significant Sultans was Siddiq Abubakar III who held the position for 50 years from 1938-1988. He was known as a stabilizing force in Nigerian politics, particularly in 1966 after the assassination of Ahmadu Bello, the Premier of Northern Nigeria.

A controversy developed with the death of Siddiq Abubakar in 1988 when the Nigerian dictator Ibrahim Babangida interfered in the succession decision and named Ibrahim Dasuki, a business associate of Babangida, the Sultan of Sokoto. Large parts of Northern Nigeria erupted in violent protests targeting Dasuki's businesses. He was deposed in 1996 by Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha and replaced with Muhammadu Maccido who ruled until he died in a plane crash in 2006.

The current Sultan of Sokoto, since 2006, is Sa'adu Abubakar.