NIGERIA: The Sardauna

To lure away the vultures that are ever present in Kano, even on the tree-shaded grounds of Kano’s Central Hotel, carrion had been dumped outside the city, and by the time the royal visitors flew in last week scarcely a bird could be seen. The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, representing their niece, Queen Elizabeth, were on their way to Kaduna to attend the biggest durbar (homage to princes) in northern Nigeria’s history.

For three hours at Kaduna. 3,000 turbaned horsemen, 7,000 warriors in medieval chain mail, archers, lancers, musketeers, musicians, dancers, tumblers and snake charmers paraded by. The durbar celebrated self-government for northern Nigeria, the last step before Nigeria as a whole—now a federation of three regions, each with its own Premier—would become independent within the Commonwealth in 1960. “The future may not be easy for you,” warned the Queen of England through her uncle. “You have a heavy task before you.”

Just what sort of future Nigeria actually has will largely depend upon the regal host of last week’s durbar, the aristocratic Premier of the Northern Region, Alhaji Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto. Since Nigeria is the most populous (35 million) of Britain’s African territories, whoever becomes its first federal Prime Minister after independence is potentially the most important politician in Africa. And no one will have more to say about who that man will be than the Sardauna of Sokoto.

Reluctant Progress. To the outside world, he is not nearly as well known as his two fellow Premiers. In spite of a spate of political scandals, U.S.-educated Nnamdi (“Zik”) Azikiwe remains the undisputed leader of the Eastern Region, is almost solely responsible for raising the Ibos from tribal backwardness to their present positions in government in the Eastern Region and in education. A British-educated barrister. Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Premier of the Western Region, runs the most efficient government of all. But the crucial fact remains that the Sardauna in the north rules a land of ancient walled cities and feudal emirs that is more than three times the size of the other two regions put together and in the next federal Parliament will hold 174 out of 320 seats.

Now 49, the Sardauna is a direct descendant of the fabled Fulani Imam who in 1802 launched the holy war that eventually brought northern Nigeria to its knees. In 1900 the British proclaimed the region a protectorate. They ended the beheadings, the chopping off of hands and the slave trade, but they deliberately did not destroy the power of the emirs and the chiefs—under a characteristically empirical British policy known as “indirect rule.” So it was not until 1956 that the Northern Region held its first direct elections to its Assembly, not until this year that its rulers finally got around to accepting self-government. Even today the emirs can appoint kadis (Moslem judges) with complete authority to fine, jail and tax.

“Some Say . . .” The Sardauna, on becoming Premier in 1954. launched a massive campaign against his region’s almost total illiteracy. But he has never been particularly keen on upsetting too many traditions. “Some here say,” explains the Sardauna, “that the chiefs must be set aside. But the great majority are not of that school.” The Sardauna seems to have no desire to become federal Prime Minister himself, would apparently prefer to become a Sultan like his great-grandfather. He has already haughtily declared that he would leave the less lofty job of Nigeria’s Prime Minister “to one of my lieutenants.”