Nigeria monarch threatens to breakaway and join Cameroon

“The larger part of my kingdom is now in Cameroon”, said Nigeria’s Lamido of Adamawa, threatening to lead his people over if Nigeria got split.

Drama ensued on Wednesday at the venue of the ongoing National Conferenc in Nigria, when the Lamido of Adamawa, Alhaji Muhammadu Barkindo Mustapha affirmed that he was ready to relocate with his kingdom to Cameroon if the country partitions.

He vowed that once the country splits, himself and his people in Adamawa Kingdom would just cross the border to neighbouring Republic of Cameroon.

The Lamido Adamawa who is among the thirteen monarchs representing the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria also threatened to walkout from the conference if they are not ready to fight for a united Nigeria.

Shortly after he was introduced by the Conference Chairman, Justice Idris Kutigi to speak on a debate, the Monarch noted that the conduct of delegates on Tuesday was not impressive, as they were not addressing the issues as highlighted by President Goodluck Jonathan during his inaugural speech as had been expected.

The Lamido Adamawa abandoned what he was asked to comment on and simply said, “Mr. Chairman, I want to sound a note of warning”.

“I have been sitting here for three days watching and listening. We should not take cue from the so-called civilized people of western countries because they are always after their own interest and they can use anything including coercion to protect that interest.

“Listening to the debates and behavior of some of the delegates here, it beats my imagination why a gathering of people like us will behave the way we are behaving”.

Apparently angered by his ‘sermon’, other delegates started calling on Justice Kutigi to stop the Emir, with shouts of “Point of Order, No, No” but Kutigi’s ignored them.

He continued, “The President delivered an address and laid down what we are supposed to discuss and what not to discuss.

“But many people here, some of them elder statesmen, who claim to be strong loyalists of the president unfortunately, are in the forefront to contradict what the president has said.

“In the long run, if we are not careful, this conference will flop. God forbid. If it flops, the resultant effect will not be imaginable. If anything happens and the country disintegrates, God forbid, many of us who are shouting their heads off may not have anywhere to go.

“My people and the people of Adamawa have got somewhere to go. I am the Lamido Adamawa and my kingdom extends to Cameroun. The larger part of my kingdom is in Cameroun. Part of that kingdom is today called Adamawa State in Cameroun. You see, if I run to that place, I will easily assimilate.”

“I want to call on the chairman to please tread the path laid down by the president which includes the pattern of voting.

“If we are pushed to the wall, we will easily walk out of this conference. Jingoism is not the exclusive preserve of anyone. Everyone here is a potential jingo.”

Speaking with newsmen later, the Lamido Adamawa said, “The people who are here shouting that they are the president’s loyalists are the same people who are contracting the president by introducing something which the president didn’t say in his address, that is the two-third majority. So, this is why I said I should make this statement to make people understand.”

Asked to comment on his statement on the floor of the house, describing some elders as Jonathan’s loyalists and what led to that, he said, “Yes, they called themselves Jonathan’s loyalists, many of them have been shouting their heads off in the media.”

On the threat that his kingdom would move to Cameroon, the Monarch added, “My Kingdom has been in existence hundreds of years before the so-called entity called Nigeria and the so-called civilized people from the West who are the people who came and divided us. The larger part of my kingdom is now in Cameroon and a part of it is named a state that is Adamawa State in Cameroon. If you go to Cameroon, you verify that.”