The family of the late Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Maccido, has called on Nigerian leaders and citizens to embrace dialogue, accountability and religious tolerance amid insecurity, communal tensions and divisions threatening national unity.
The appeal comes as the family prepares to mark 20 years since the former monarch died in the October 29, 2006, ADC Airlines plane crash shortly after take-off from Abuja.
Maccido died alongside his son, Senator Badamasi Maccido, his grandson and other passengers and crew in the air disaster.
In a statement issued on Sunday and signed by Bello Maccido, the family said the late Sultan’s leadership philosophy remained relevant to Nigeria’s present challenges, particularly the need for consultation, mutual understanding and service to humanity.
“At a time when our nation faces serious security and social challenges, the ideals our father stood for remain as relevant as ever,” the family stated.
The family urged political leaders, traditional rulers and citizens to draw lessons from the late monarch’s approach to leadership, especially his preference for dialogue over confrontation and his efforts to promote peaceful coexistence among people of different religious backgrounds.
Muhammadu Maccido became the 19th Sultan of Sokoto in April 1996 and was a prominent figure in Nigeria’s traditional and religious leadership.
He also served as President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, where he played an influential role in Muslim affairs and national religious engagement.
The family recalled his commitment to interfaith relations, education and public health, including campaigns against polio and HIV/AIDS, saying his efforts reflected his belief that traditional institutions should contribute to improving the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
Former President Shehu Shagari reportedly described Maccido as a patient and consultative leader.
He does not rush or dictate things,” Shagari was quoted as saying, a description the family said reflected the late Sultan’s commitment to listening, consultation and consensus-building.
Born in 1926 in Dange, present-day Sokoto State, Maccido was a son of Sultan Abubakar III and a descendant of Sheikh Usman dan Fodio, the Islamic scholar and founder of the Sokoto Caliphate.
Before becoming Sultan, he served in public administration, including as Presidential Liaison Officer in Sokoto State.
His death in the October 29, 2006, aviation disaster was a major loss to the Sokoto Sultanate and Nigeria’s Muslim community.
The aircraft crash claimed 96 lives, according to contemporary reports. Maccido had travelled to Abuja to attend a Presidential Forum on Education when the plane crashed shortly after take-off.
His son, Senator Badamasi Maccido, who represented Sokoto North in the Senate, also died in the incident.
As the family reflects on the tragedy two decades later, it has called for stronger aviation safety measures and regulatory accountability, stressing that the lives lost should serve as a lasting reminder of the importance of protecting passengers and enforcing safety standards.
Let this twentieth remembrance be more than an occasion for mourning,” the family said, urging Nigerians to work towards the peaceful, just and united society the late Sultan championed.
