The reinstatement of Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II as the Emir of Kano on Thursday, coupled with the dethronement of Emir Ado Bayero, has triggered a series of dramatic developments, causing anxiety and tension in the state.
This unfolding situation, reminiscent of the plot in the Hollywood series Game of Thrones, is marked by political maneuverings and undertones, dividing the once peaceful state and bringing it to the brink of chaos.
Reports indicate that the Bayero and Sanusi royal families are now embroiled in a battle for supremacy over the highly coveted Emirate stool in the ancient city of Kano.
In 2014, Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II succeeded Aminu Ado Bayero’s father, Emir Ado Bayero. However, Sanusi was deposed in 2020 and replaced by Aminu Ado Bayero amid a fallout with the state government under former governor Abdullahi Ganduje.
Four years later, with Abba Yusuf of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) as the governor, Sanusi was reinstated on Thursday. The Kano State House of Assembly passed the Kano Emirates Council Law (Repeal Bill) 2024, dethroning all five first-class Emirs of the state and dissolving the Emirates created by former governor Ganduje, thereby reviving the Single Emirate System.
Governor Abba Yusuf stated that reinstating the deposed Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi, fulfilled a campaign promise, asserting that this move would promote peace and prosperity in the state.
The governor gave Aminu Ado Bayero and four other former first-class chiefs 48 hours to vacate their palaces and hand over all emirate properties to the office of the deputy governor.
However, a Federal High Court in Kano issued an ex-parte order stopping Governor Yusuf from reinstating Sanusi pending the determination of a substantive suit against the reinstatement. The court also halted the abolishment of the four emirates: Bichi, Gaya, Karaye, and Rano.
The Kano Police Commissioner, Muhammad Usaini Gumel, alongside other top security officers, vowed to obey the court order, emphasizing their commitment to maintaining peace and unity in the state.
Amid the tense atmosphere, Bayero returned to Kano and was reported to be at the Nasarawa Emir’s Rest House adjacent to the Ministry of Works. Governor Yusuf subsequently ordered his arrest for violating laws and directives.
The Kano State Deputy Governor, Aminu Gwarzo, accused former governor Abdullahi Ganduje of trying to impose the deposed Emir on the state using the office of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu. Ribadu denied providing air transport for Bayero’s return.
Bayero called for justice and urged residents to maintain law and order while awaiting the legal process’s outcome. Meanwhile, former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso denied involvement in Sanusi’s reinstatement.
Nasir El-Rufai, the immediate past governor of Kaduna State, reacted to Sanusi’s reinstatement with a cryptic message on Facebook, while the Council of Ulamas in Kano cautioned against federal interference in the emirate issue.
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), warned that the Federal Government would be held responsible for any violence resulting from the emirate crisis, criticizing the deployment of soldiers in the state.
Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong also cautioned against federal interference, emphasizing that the emirship dispute should be resolved by the King Makers and the Governor, and urging against setting the state on fire due to partisan politics.
