Excitement as ex- sports minister Suleiman becomes Dan Amar of Sokoto
IT was thrill and glamour for the people of Sokoto State at the weekend, as former Sports Minister, Yusuf Suleiman, and 19 other prominent Nigerian citizens, were turbaned by the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR.
Suleiman, who became Sports Minister in July 2011 during the tenure of former President Goodluck Jonathan, was turbaned as The Dan Amar of Sokoto, which means, son of the Amir.
Prominent citizens from various parts of Sokoto State witnessed the turbaning ceremony, which was done in accordance with COVID- 19 protocols.
Speaking with The Guardian soon after the ceremony, Yusuf Suleiman described his turban as a dream come true.
The Guardian learnt that the ceremony was earlier scheduled for late last year but was shifted due to the second wave of COVID- 19 across the world.
“The ceremony was a huge success,” Suleiman said. We are very grateful to His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto and all those who made it possible.”
A member of the traditional ruling family of the Sokoto Caliphate explained to The Guardian, yesterday, what the title, Dan Amar means to the people. “You know Sultan here is Amir ul Miminin, which is Commander of the faithful. So, the title, Dan Amar, here translates as the son of the Amir ul muminin.”
Although, his tenure as sports minister was brief, Suleiman was able to bring stability into the nation’s sports.