Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, on Thursday reappointed Lamido Sanusi as the Emir of Kano, four years after he was dethroned by a former Governor of the state, Umar Ganduje.
In addition, the governor deposed five emirs appointed by Ganduje and gave them a 48-hour ultimatum to vacate their official residences and palaces.
He also directed them to hand over all affairs to the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
Those affected by the directive included the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero; Emir of Bichi, Alhaji Nasiru Ado Bayero; Emir of Karaye; Alhaji Ibrahim Abubakar II; Emir of Gaya, Alhaji Aliyu Ibrahim and the Emir of Rano, Alhaji Kabiru Inuwa.
The New Nigeria Peoples Party-controlled Kano House of Assembly repealed the Kano State Emirs (Appointment and Deposition) Law on Thursday, paving the way for the abolishment of the emirates and changes introduced by the law under Ganduje.
Governor Yusuf signed the repeal bill into law at a ceremony attended by the principal officers of the state assembly and other top officials and covered live by the media.
Born July 31, 1961, Sanusi has long been a prominent figure in the nation’s socio-political and economic landscape.
Before ascending the throne, Sanusi had a distinguished career in banking, culminating in his appointment as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria in 2009.
Sanusi, the spiritual leader of the Tijanniyah Sufi order of Nigeria, began his reign on June 8, 2014, as the 14th Emir of Kano, succeeding his great-uncle, Ado Bayero.
He was appointed emir by former governor Rabiu Kwankwaso less than four months after his removal as the CBN governor by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
He had fallen out with Jonathan after accusing his administration of corruption five years into his tenure as CBN governor.
Ganduje’s govt
In 2017, the relationship between the monarch and Ganduje, who succeeded Kwankwaso, became frosty after Sanusi accused the government of mismanagement and corruption, particularly about the state’s debts.
The disagreement between the two escalated in 2019, and the Kano State government created four additional emirates, reducing the powers of the emir.
Sanusi challenged the creation of the emirates in court, arguing that it was politically motivated and designed to weaken his position as emir.
He was subsequently removed from his position by the state government and sent into exile, citing insubordination and disrespect to the governor and other officials.
The development sparked widespread outrage and condemnation from various quarters.
Following his deposition, Sanusi relocated to Lagos and then to Abuja, where he continued to engage in intellectual discourse, policy advocacy, and philanthropic activities.
However, in March 2020, a Kano State High Court ruled that the emirate councils were legally created.
Despite his physical absence from Kano, his influence and support base remained robust, with many advocating for his return.
In 2023, the Federal High Court ruled in his favour, declaring his deposition and exile unconstitutional, setting the stage for his potential return.
Sanusi is being expected in the ancient city ahead of his reinstatement.
In the run-up to Sanusi’s restoration, the Kano State House of Assembly Thursday repealed the law which established five emirates in the state.
Repealed law
The repealed law, known as the Kano State Emirs (Appointment and Deposition) Law, had created Rano, Karaye, Gaya, and Bichi Emirates in addition to Kano.
The law’s repeal means that the newly created emirates have been dissolved, consolidating the Kano Emirate once again under a single ruler.
The repealed bill states: “All offices created in the newly created five emirates under the repealed principal law, dated 5th December 2019, are hereby abrogated. All appointments made under the said repealed Principal Law dated 5th December 2019, are hereby set aside.”
Speaking to journalists shortly after the bill was passed, the Majority leader of the Kano House of Assembly, Lawal Yan Gurasa, who sponsored the repealed bill, said, “This bill in its entity has abrogated the establishment of five new emirates in the state and reverted to the former status of a single emir in Kano which we inherited since the Jihad of Shehu Usman Dan Fodio.
“That’s what the bill is now all about and there was a plan to create an additional second class emir after this. This means that the remaining five emirs are no longer in existence. There is no emir now in Kano.
“It is now the decision of the governor to appoint a new emir. The bill has empowered the governor to invite the kingmakers to nominate a new king. So, we are now waiting for the governor to ascent to the bill if he wishes and invite the kingmakers to give him a new king.”
He emphasised that the division of the emirate had caused unnecessary fragmentation and division among the people of Kano, undermining the unity that had existed for centuries.
“The abolished emirates did nothing but create division among the indigenes of Kano. We are now reverting to our old historical background; one Kano, one people, one emir,” he stated, calling for cooperation from Kano residents to support the move.
“Kano is now united. We hope the people of Kano will cooperate and pray for the peace and development of our great state,” the lawmaker appealed.
But the decision was not without opposition. During the plenary, the Minority Leader in the Kano State House of Assembly, Ayuba Labaran, staged a walkout, accusing the governor and his allies of selfish motives.
The deposed Emir of Kano, was in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State on Wednesday when he visited the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, who recently celebrated his 90th birthday and 64th year on the throne.
Speaking on Thursday after giving his assent, the Kano governor said, “A moment ago I exercised my constitutional duty by signing the Kano State Emirate Amendment Bill 2024 into law.
“With this law and the full support of the kingmakers, I have approved the reappointment of Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi who is popularly known as Muhammadu Sanusi II as the new Emir of Kano.
“May I announce that the five former emirs affected by the repeal law 2024 are given 48 hours from this hour to vacate official residences, palaces, and offices and equally hand over all properties of the former emirates to the commissioner local government and chieftaincy affairs who is also the deputy governor of Kano State?’’
Ganduje’s aide
But the Senior Special Assistant to the APC National Chairman on Public Enlightenment, Chief Oliver Okpala, slammed the governor, saying his desperation to destroy every legacy of his principal in the state would fail.
He said, “Every government in power has its own leadership style. If this is the style Governor Abba Yusuf wants to adopt for Kano, it is left for the people of Kano State to judge if what he did is just and is in their interest.
“Government is a continuum. When Ganduje was in power, he did his best and the people of Kano State can testify to that. He left some legacies that cannot be equalled. What Ganduje has done in Kano cannot be destroyed overnight by political malice from any quarter. This is because what he left in Kano are monumental legacies.
“So for somebody to wake up overnight and try to destroy or dismantle all the legacies left behind by predecessor is, to say the least, a kind of disservice to the people of Kano State. But if he says that is the leadership line his government wants to toe, it is left for him. The people will at a later stage judge between him and Ganduje, which one meant well for them.”
One month before Yusuf assumed office, the leader of the NNPP, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, had indicated that the issue of the emirates would be reviewed.
“We campaigned on this issue. The good projects we started when we were in government will be picked up by this administration,” Kwankwaso said.
He expressed confidence that the governor would make the right decisions to ensure peace and unity in Kano.
Meanwhile, Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has rejoiced with the emir on his reinstatement to the throne.
Conveying the governor’s congratulatory message in a statement on Thursday, Fubara’s spokesman, Nelson Chukwudi, said his principal received the report of the reinstatement of the former CBN governor with great excitement.
According to Fubara, it came at a time when Khalifa Sanusi II was in the state to add impetus to his administration’s initiative to reshape the economic trajectory of the state.
“I wish the 14th Emir of Kano a successful and fruitful reign that will bring progress and prosperity to the people of the State,” the governor said.
He also urged the spiritual leader of the Tijanniyah Sufi order to lead the over 50 million adherents of the Sufi order in Nigeria with love, wisdom and courage while bringing lasting peace, justice, equity and fairness to all in the city of Kano.
But the Professor Ango Abdullahi-led Northern Elders Forum, on Thursday, declared that the multiplication of emirates in Kano was targeted at undermining traditional rulers in the region.
A statement by the Director of Publicity and Advocacy of the Forum, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, released to newsmen in Kaduna, on Thursday, expressed concern about the development in Kano.
The forum also noted that the arbitrary enthronement and replacement of high-ranking traditional rulers in Kano not only weakened the authority and legitimacy of traditional rulers but also sent a message that their role and relevance in society were easily dispensable.
The move, the northern body said, was not only threatening the unity and cohesion of the traditional structure but also undermining the centuries-old customs, values, and traditions that have been the bedrock of Nigerian society.
Madukwe B. Nwabuisi is an accomplished journalist renown for his fearless reporting style and extensive expertise in the field. He is an investigative journalist, who has established himself as a kamikaze reporter.
