The ancient town of Kakanda Budon has been drawn into renewed traditional debate following a letter of intent by Muhammed Sulaiman Alhaji, in which he laid claim to eligibility for the revered stool of Agankyu of Kakanda Budon.
But concerned stakeholders of the kingdom said the claim has raised serious historical and customary questions, prompting a clarification aimed at preserving the sanctity of the throne and the integrity of the kingdom’s long-established succession order.
According to elders and custodians of tradition, the stool of Agankyu is not open to general contest but is strictly reserved for descendants of recognised ruling houses within Kakanda Budon Kingdom. These ruling houses, they explained, are defined by bloodline and ancestral royal origin, not by personal achievements, chieftaincy titles or family endorsements.
“Customary law in Kakanda Budon is very clear and has never been ambiguous,” a senior traditional source told newsmen in Lokoja on Thursday. “Only those who can trace their lineage directly to an approved ruling house are eligible to aspire to the stool of Agankyu. This requirement is fundamental and non-negotiable.”
Stakeholders argued that Muhammed Sulaiman Alhaji, in his letter, did not establish any ancestral link to any of the recognised ruling houses of the kingdom. Instead, they say his claim was anchored on chieftaincy titles held by his late father and grandfather—titles which, though respected, do not confer succession rights to the stool.
Titles such as Sarkin Samari, Tsunku, Nagya, Kpotun, Lakpini, Checheco, Kafa, Chadia, Sarkin Kudu and Saudauna Mata were described as loyal and service-based positions within the traditional hierarchy. “They are titles of honour and responsibility bestowed by reigning Agankyus,” an elder explained, “but they remain non-ruling titles and do not elevate a family into a ruling house.”
The clarification further noted that the fact that such titles were conferred by Agankyus from different ruling houses—Danki, Emiwo, Yebba and
Atungbile does not alter the succession structure of the kingdom. Ruling house status, they stressed, is determined solely by royal bloodline and historical origin.
Another point of concern raised by stakeholders was the suggestion that unanimous family nomination alone could qualify an aspirant for the throne. While acknowledging that family endorsement plays a role in the selection process, they maintained that it cannot override established constitutional and traditional provisions.
“Nomination without eligibility is void from the beginning,” one source said. “No amount of consensus can replace the basic requirement of belonging to a ruling house.”
For the people of Kakanda Budon, the Agankyu stool is regarded as sacred, symbolising continuity, unity and ancestral authority. Stakeholders warned that allowing ineligible aspirants to contest the throne would amount to a distortion of history and could set a precedent capable of destabilising the kingdom’s customary institutions.
They therefore called on the Lokoja Traditional Council, the Maigari of Lokoja, relevant government authorities and the general public to disregard claims that do not align with the kingdom’s established succession laws.
“Tradition must be upheld, history must be respected, and truth must prevail,” the elders insisted, stressing that the future stability of Kakanda Budon Kingdom depends on strict adherence to its time-honoured customs.
