Kano’s two rival traditional rulers have jointly stepped back from the brink, suspending their separate Eid-el-Kabir durbar celebrations after security agencies warned of potential unrest during the festive period.
Muhammadu Sanusi II and Aminu Ado Bayero — whose competing claims to the Kano emirate throne have long divided the state — had each announced independent durbar programmes for the Sallah season, a move that unsettled many residents who dreaded a collision between their loyalists.
The cancellations were announced separately by spokespersons from both camps, following reported advice from police and other security agencies.
Matawallen Kano, Alhaji Aliyu Ibrahim, speaking on behalf of Emir Sanusi, said intelligence indicated that certain individuals intended to exploit the celebrations to provoke disorder. The emirate council, he said, chose to stand down its durbar plans in the interest of public safety.
Emir Bayero’s camp echoed the same reasoning. His spokesperson, Sarkin Dawaki Babba, Alhaji Aminu Babba Dan’agundi, confirmed that they had halted all durbar activities following directives from law enforcement, adding that full cooperation with security authorities remained their priority.
Both emirs had already conducted separate Hawan Sallah processions on Wednesday, taking care to use different routes and locations across the city. It was the remaining durbar activities — which risked drawing supporters from both sides onto the same paths — that had most alarmed residents and officials alike.
With the suspension now in place, authorities are hoping the rest of the Sallah period passes without incident.
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