Kano Emirate Tussle: Federal agents sack Sanusi’s guards

The Police have taken an active role in the Kano emirate tussle as it descends fully into the arena, sacking the local security arrangement that previously guided the main Palace of the Emir after the reinstatement of Lamido Sanusi. Famously called ‘Yan Tauri’ the bulk of the local security were hunters, drawn from various parts of the state to secure the palace following rumours that federal authorities would forcefully return Aminu Ado-Bayero who is now being protected at the Nasarawa mini Palace by security agencies of the federal government. According to Premium Times, security agents took control of the main emir’s palace, called Gidan Rumfa, on Sunday evening, during an exercise akin to a game of cards between the hunters and the government agents. A security source confirmed to journalists that the hunters had been sacked. “You can see for yourself that the hunters are no longer here,” a police officer at the palace noted. “Some of them left behind their machetes to conceal their identity after they were asked to vacate the palace or face the wrath of the security agents”, a resident said.

‘Ganduje Would Have Made My Life Miserable’ – Sanusi Opens Up On His Dethronement

The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has disclosed the reasons behind his decision not to contest his dethronement by the immediate past Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje.  Ganduje had, before leaving office, dethroned the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and subsequently banished him from the mega city in March 2020. At the time, the development had stirred mixed reactions among concerned stakeholders. However, Sanusi, who Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s administration recently reinstated, shed light on the incident, which happened years ago. The Emir told Sun Newspaper that the Kano emirate is large and has a number of deserving people, which means he lacks the basic entitlement to hold the position of Emir. When asked why he didn’t challenge his dethronment, Sanusi said, “A number of reasons. I have told you that I don’t have a fundamental right to be an Emir. I am one of hundreds of princes. God chose me. And if God says I should leave, for me, I take it that God knows better than me. That was why I had to leave. Okay, let’s say I go to court. Let me even say this; I just got a letter that said I had been dethroned for insubordination. “I had never been queried for insubordination. “The details of the insubordination were not given. I had not been given any chance to defend myself. So, it was clear that the state and the federal governments had both decided that it was time for me to go. Okay?” According to Sanusi, even if he had gone to court and the court returned him, he wouldn’t be able to hold the position with Ganduje as a governor. Sanusi added: “So, let’s even assume that the court said I should come back. Do you think I was looking forward to working with that government? Would I have been happy as an Emir in the last three years working with that government? You’re under a governor. The law gives him the power to be on top of you. He has said he doesn’t like you. He has made it clear he does not like you. If I came, he would just make my life miserable. “It was going to be one story after the other. One fake story, one social media insult after another, and in my position, I won’t be able to respond. So, for me, I had a happier life in Lagos with my friends, publishing my book, doing my PhD, doing my UN work, doing my Tijaniya work, than sitting here in a constant fight with the government. “Secondly, look at the Emir of Gwandu, who was removed under Obasanjo. How many years now? Almost 20. The state High Court said he was illegally removed, and returned him. So, there was an appeal. The Court of Appeal said he was illegally removed and returned him. It is at the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has not yet spoken out about him. I mean, do I have 20 years to fight in court to come back to a throne? “So, for me, I had been Emir for six years, alhamdulillah. I had done what I did. At least, the only reason I would have gone to court is if they had removed me on an allegation that harmed my reputation because the only currency I have is my integrity. So, if they had accused me of fraud or something, I would have had to go to court to clear my name, but they said insubordination. “So, the governor was asked, what are the reasons for insubordination? He said, that sometimes he is invited to meetings, and he does not come. For every well-meaning Nigerian who saw that story, who saw that news, I don’t even need to defend myself because if you are going to remove an Emir and the only reason you can have is that you invite him for some meetings that he does not come, then nobody takes you seriously. Everybody knows that this was not the reason. So, I always felt that if it was God’s will that I come back, if not, I’d go and continue my life. “So, I didn’t go to court to challenge my removal. I went to court to challenge their attempt to keep me in exile and under house arrest to enforce my fundamental human rights but I did not go to court to challeng

Tension in Kano as Sanusi, Bayero plan Friday prayer at palace’s mosque 

There is noticeable apprehension among Kano residents as the reinstated Emir of Kano, Malam Muhammadu Sanusi II, is set to lead the two rakat congregational Friday prayers today at the Emir’s palace Friday mosque. This announcement was made in a statement signed by Danburan of Kano on Thursday evening. The statement invites residents to attend and listen to the sermon to be delivered by Sanusi. Similarly, another statement from an aide of the deposed Emir, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, invites residents to join him at the emir’s palace Friday mosque to observe the Jumu’at prayer. It further mentions that the movement to the emir’s palace mosque begins at 12:30 pm. However, the police authorities have yet to comment on the situation to prevent any potential disruption of law and order. Effort to contact the Public Relations Officer of the Kano Police Command, SP Abdullahi Haruna failed as his mobile phone number was not going through.

Governor Yusuf Orders Arrest Of Deposed Emir Of Kano

Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of of Kano State has ordered the immediate arrest of the former Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero. In a statement, which Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, his spokesperson, issued on his behalf, Yusuf accused Ado Bayero of creating tension in the state. “The former Emir was smuggled into Kano city last night in an attempt to forcefully return to the palace two days after being deposed by the Governor.” “”The Governor, it was confirmed that the new Emir, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, arrived at the palace in the company of the Governor, the Deputy Governor, the Speaker of the State Assembly, and other top government functionaries at about 1:00 a.m. on Saturday, 25th May 2024. “As the Chief Security Officer of the state, His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has directed the Commissioner of Police to arrest the deposed Emir with immediate effect for disturbing public peace and attempting to destroy the relative peace the state enjoys.”

Protesters Storm Villa, NASS Over Reinstatement Of Sanusi As Kano Emir

Protesters marched to the Presidential Villa and the National Assembly in Abuja on Friday, demanding President Bola Tinubu’s intervention in the Kano Emirate conflict. The protesters, marching peacefully, carried banners highlighting their concerns about the escalating situation in Kano. They called on President Tinubu to use his authority to resolve the crisis and ensure the restoration of peace and stability in the State. The State Assembly passed a bill titled, ‘The Kano State Emirates Councils (Repeal) Bill, 2024’, which dissolved the establishment of the additional emirates. This made way for the reinstatement of Muhammadu Sanusi II on Thursday by Governor Yusuf, four years after he was dethroned by a former governor of the state, Abdullahi Ganduje. The protesters, under the banner of the Concerned Patriots of Nigeria, accused Governor Yusuf of escalating his abuse of office by dissolving the traditional council. The coordinator, Abdullahi Muhammed Saleh said, “A lot had been going wrong in the state but the Concerned Patriots of Nigeria had thought it best to allow Kano state to sort out its thorny issues. However, Thursday’s brash actions of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State, who sacked five emirs to reappoint Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi as the 14th Emir of Kano has awoken us to the urgency of raising the alarm about the destructive excesses of the state governor. “Since being sworn into office, Governor Abba Yusuf has a string of loutish acts that run like a hardened criminal’s rap sheet. All in the name of rubbishing his predecessor, he started with a demolition spree that has served to impoverish the people whose lives he took an oath to improve. Thus he proved himself to be anti-people. “The Governor then attempted to destroy the structures of political parties in the state. The impish fanaticism with which he pursued this illicit mission saw him intruding into the structure of other political parties, including hiring some charlatans who purportedly suspended the national chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, who is interestingly his predecessor. Thus he proved himself to be anti-democratic. “This latest stunt of sacking five emirs to install his acolyte was achieved by manipulating the Kano State House of Assembly, which he had successfully turned into a rubber stamp for endorsing his illegal acts. He has eroded the autonomy guaranteed by the separation of powers as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). “It is inconceivable that any right-thinking person will descend low to the point of manipulating the traditional institution for political gimmicks. The humiliation meted out to the five emirs was most unbecoming and we have cause to believe that Abba Yusuf has set the stage for using the traditional institution as ancient and as esteemed as that of Kano for a political seesaw will continue since his successor will revert to the five emirates. The Kano governor has thus proven himself to be the anti-traditional institution leader.” The protesters criticized Governor Yusuf’s actions as unreasonable and detrimental to a civilized society, urging him to stop undermining Kano’s peace. They condemned the NNPP-dominated Kano State House of Assembly for being a rubber stamp for the governor’s actions, warning that their desperation could destabilize the city and the country. They appealed to President Tinubu to urgently intervene in the Kano Emirate crisis to prevent further deterioration and ensure peace is restored.

Gov Yusuf reappoints Sanusi as Emir of Kano, orders ex-monarchs 48 hours to vacate seats

Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has approved the reappointment of Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II as Emir of Kano under the new laws. The governor has given former emirs 48 hours to vacate their palaces and hand over Emirate Council properties to the Commissioner of Local Government, who also serves as State Deputy Governor. Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State has signed the Kano Emirates Bill 2024 into law, repealing the 2019 Emirate Councils Law that altered the state’s over 1000-year history. By signing the bill, the governor declared that the 2019 law has been repealed and is now history. The signing was attended by the Speaker of the State Assembly, Ismaila Falgore, Deputy Governor Aminu Abdussalam, Secretary to the State Government Abdullahi Baffa Bichi and others. The State Assembly has fulfilled one of its constitutional roles by signing the bill into law.

Kano assembly dissolves four new emirates, may reinstate Sanusi

The Kano State House of Assembly has dissolved the four emirate councils created by the immediate past administration led by Abdullahi Ganduje. Muhammadu Bello Butu, the deputy speaker of the assembly who confirmed the development said that the dissolution of the 4 new emirate councils was sequel to deliberations on the floor of the house during plenary. He disclosed that the Kano state emirate council amendment bill was considered on the floor of the house after scaling second and third reading on Thursday morning. Butu explained that repealing the law would revive the lost glory of Kano as the division of Kano emirate to five reduced the capacity and dignity of the state at national level. The majority leader Lawan Hussaini Dala said that the emirate council served as a custodian of culture which was distorted by the creation of additional emirates. The majority leader explained that with the amendment of the law, all the five emirate councils were abolished while the commissioner for local governments would serve as the overseer. The house also adopted a motion to create new second class emirate council in the state. However, sources close to the state legislatures indicates that there is a strong indication that the despised Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi 11, might be restore later today, as Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf is set to assent to the new Act later today.