Lawan Muhammad Sani has been appointed the 17th Emir of Gumel in Jigawa State, succeeding his father, the late Ahmed Sani II, who died on Thursday after 46 years on the throne.
Governor Umar Namadi approved the appointment following recommendations from the Gumel Emirate Council kingmakers and the Jigawa State Council of Chiefs.
The appointment was announced in a statement issued by the Secretary to the Jigawa State Government, Bala Ibrahim, on Sunday.
Before his elevation, Sani held the traditional title of Chiroman Gumel. He also served as Director of Cyber Security at the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA.
His appointment follows the death of his father, who presided over the Gumel Emirate for more than four decades. The transition consequently places the new monarch at the head of an emirate whose previous reign spanned several decades.
Governor Namadi congratulated the new Emir and wished him “many years of successful service to the Gumel Emirate and the nation.”
The governor also commended the emirate’s kingmakers for their role in the selection of the successor. The selection committee was led by the Wazirin Gumel, Adamu Nasoro.
Namadi equally acknowledged the contribution of the Jigawa State Council of Chiefs, comprising the Emirs of Hadejia, Kazaure, Ringim and Dutse, to the process.
According to the statement, the governor appreciated the council members for the “invaluable advice” they provided during the selection exercise.
The appointment brings to a close the immediate succession process following the death of Ahmed Sani II and formally ushers his son into the traditional leadership of Gumel Emirate.
The state government also extended its condolences to the late Emir’s family, the people of Gumel Emirate and residents across Jigawa State.
It prayed that Allah would forgive the former monarch’s shortcomings, accept his good deeds, and grant him Al-Jannatul Firdaus.
The emergence of Sani also places a senior information technology professional in the traditional institution. His previous role at NITDA was in cyber security, a field distinct from the customary responsibilities associated with the emirship.
The new Emir will now assume the traditional position previously occupied by his father, whose 46-year reign made his tenure a defining period in the history of the Gumel Emirate.
The state government’s confirmation camee after the prescribed input of the emirate’s kingmakers and the state council of chiefs, with the governor giving formal approval to the succession.
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