THE plan by a group of persons to install a sultan in Edo State has sparked angry reactions from the people and government of the state on Thursday.

The Edo State Government and the Pan Niger Delta Forum were among those who condemned the arrangement to install a sultan in the state.

An online invitation by the group suspected to be from Fulani had slated the event for Saturday, August 21 and Sunday, August 22, with the venue at Rialto Hotel in Eyaen, a suburb of Benin City, the state capital.

Coronation of sultan in Edo sacrilegious, says Edo

In a statement on Thursday, the Secretary to the Edo State Government, Osarodion Ogie, assured the people that a firm and decisive action would be taken to prevent the actualisation of the “illegal and sacrilegious act”.

The statement reads, “The Edo State Government has been inundated with complaints from indigenes and residents of the state over the purported move to embark on the coronation of one Idriss Addano as ‘Sultan of Shuwa Arab of Edo State’.

“The Edo State Government wishes to state as follows: That whether or not this event is held at the said or any other location within the state by individuals who clearly have sinister motives and are trying to abuse the well-known Edo hospitality by their act of sacrilege, it will constitute a direct assault on the traditions, custom and culture of the people of Edo State.

“Under the Edo State Traditional Rulers and Chiefs Law, it is an offence for anyone to proclaim himself, or allow himself to be proclaimed as the holder of any traditional title not recognized under the said law and/or without the approval of the appropriate authorities.”

Coronation plan part of Fulani-Hausa expansionist agenda – PANDEF

On his part, the spokesman of PANDEF, Mr. Ken Robinson, said the planned coronation was part of the Fulani-Hausa expansionist agenda to continue to dominate other tribes in Nigeria

“We may not be too surprised that they are being emboldened by the happenings in Afghanistan. It is part of territorial expansion; it is conquest! That is division.

“And they have sent in their foot soldiers as herdsmen before now, thinking that they will just overrun the territory, but they are just kidding, because that will not happen in the South-South,” he stressed.

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Also, an Edo indigene and owner of the hotel where the coronation was to hold, Mr. Enogie Iduriase, said he would not allow his facility to be used for any unwholesome business in his area

He said, “I am a traditional ruler as well as the son of the Oba of Benin. I will not allow any facility to be used for any unwholesome business. The Oba of Benin is superior to any other Oba. I don’t know any Sultan of Shuwa Arab.”

Shuwa Arab Sultan coronation in Edo postpone – Seriki’s spokesman

When contacted a number on the RSVP, the receiver, who only identified himself as the spokesman for Seriki, said the event had been called off indefinitely.

Asked if the Oba of Benin was informed about the planned ceremony, he said, “There is an error on the invitation; it was after distributing the card they noticed an error on the (invitation) card. The typist wanted to write party and not coronation.

When told to identify himself, he said, “My name? I don’t have a name; I am the spokesman for Seriki, Shuwa Arab. I have postponed everything and everything has stopped. Announce it to all your readers; let them know that it (coronation of Sultan Arab of Edo State) has been postponed.

‘Benin Palace not aware of planned coronation’

The Secretary to the Benin Traditional Council, Frank Irabor, denied the palace’s knowledge of the coronation of Addano as the Sultan in Edo State.

He stated that the only thing known to him was Seriki Hausawa, who was turbaned and not coronated.

According to him, it is only the Oba of Benin that can be coronated in the kingdom.

Efforts made to get Addano’s reaction were not successful.