Anxiety Mounts over Sanusi’s Possible Return

Recent events in Kano have shown that the new administration of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State may do to the immediate past administration of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje exactly what the late former governor Aliyu Sabo Bakin Zuwo did to the late governor Abubakar Rimi. Adedayo Akinwale writes that Yusuf may reverse the balkanisation of the Kano emirate by Ganduje’s administration exactly the same way Bakin Zuwo reversed the balkanisation of the emirate into five by Rimi’s administration between 1979 and 1983

There was a mild drama at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano last Monday, during the inauguration of Abba Kabir Yusuf as the new governor of Kano State. Miscreants suspected to be supporters of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) heckled the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, and his younger brother, Alhaji Nasiru Ado Bayero, who is the Emir of Bichi.

It was gathered that immediately the first-class monarchs arrived at the venue, the angry miscreants, suspected to be political thugs, started shouting at the top of their voices.

Governor Yusuf, popularly known as Abba Gida-Gida, had invited the dethroned 14th Emir of Kano, Mallam Muhammad Sanusi II, to his swearing in on May 29, 2023.

Even though the invitation came on the heels of mounting speculation that the government of the NNPP is considering re-crowning him and removing the current Emir Aminu Ado Bayero, the former emir did not honour the invitation. Instead, he chose to attend the inauguration of the Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti.

However, Sanusi’s absence did not stop the crowd from embarrassing the emir.

The first sign that the last has been heard about the dethronement of Sanusi came in April when the presidential candidate of NNPP in the last general election, and leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, declared that the incoming administration of Yusuf would revisit the dethronement of the former monarch.

Sanusi, who became emir in the final term of Kwankwaso as governor of the state, was dethroned by former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, who was the deputy governor at the time the monarch was installed.

Sanusi fell apart with Ganduje in 2017 over political issues and alleged comments on Ganduje’s style of government, as well as that of the Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government.

Ganduje had accused Sanusi of working for the opposition party and instigating the masses against his re-election in 2019. Although the Emir was quoted on several occasions as urging the people of the state to vote credible candidates based on their conviction of the best option among candidates, there was no evidence available in the public domain to prove that the emir openly canvassed votes for the opposition.

At last, Ganduje sacked Sanusi after six years on the throne and subsequently created additional emirates with first class chiefs with equal powers and privilege as Emir of Kano.

However, the action triggered criticisms due to the suspicious motive.

The critics of Ganduje’s action had recalled a similar action by the late former Governor Abubakar Rimi, who equally balkanised the emirate into five during his administration between 1979 and 1983.

The new emirates however lasted for only a few months before Rimi’s successor, the late governor Aliyu Sabo Bakin Zuwo reversed the action, which was considered ill and politically motivated.

 Ganduje sacked the emir on March 9, 2020, and banished him from Kano to Loko, a sleepy community in Nasarawa State.

The former emir later became the leader of the Tijaniyya Islamic sect in Nigeria, after he was turbaned in Senegal as the Khalifa of the Tijaniyya sect in Nigeria by Sheikh Mahi Ibrahim Inyass, the Grand Khalifa of the Tijaniyya Movement.

 However, Justice Anwuli Chikere of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in December 2021, declared his banishment as unlawful and unconstitutional, and also awarded N10 million compensation to him and against the police, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Attorney-General of Kano State, who were also ordered to tender a public apology to him in two national dailies.

Following the court judgment, Sanusi had last February paid a historic visit to Kano State.  The former Emir later clarified that he was in the state on his way to Dutse, Jigawa State.

He explained that he could not fly directly to Jigawa State, because of the bad weather and had to stop over in Kano. 

After Sanusi’s dethronement, Ganduje had also enacted a law splitting the Kano emirate into five emirates and appointed Emirs who were at par.

But speaking in a viral video shortly after the 2023 general election, Kwankwaso said the dethronement and balkanisation of the emirate would be reviewed by the government of Governor Yusuf.

“We have campaigned and as you know we are popular in Nigeria, especially in Kano State, we are now back and God willing we will continue with the good works our administration left. This incoming governor and his team will take them up. 

“As elders, we will continue to advise them to do the right thing. We tried not to intervene in the issue of bringing or removing any Emir, but now, an opportunity has come. Those who were given this opportunity will sit down and see to the issues. They will look at what they are expected to do.

 “Besides the Emir, even the emirate has been divided into five places. All these need to be studied. Usually, a leader inherits good, bad, and issues that are hard to reconcile,” Kwankwaso had said.

Since Kwankwaso made this revelation, the ancient city has been gripped by anxiety over the implication of a possible reversal of the dethronement.

But reacting to Kwankwaso’s revelation, Ganduje had also declared that God would not allow anybody to destroy the four new Emirates created by his administration.

In his speech to mark the 2023 Workers’ Day at Sani Abacha Stadium, Kofar Mata, Kano, Ganduje insisted that the newly created four Emirates had come to stay.

To him, the four new Emirates are etiquettes of unity, progress and even development across the state.

He said: “Any of you that visits the headquarters of these new emirates will believe me that we have brought development to these places. These emirates were created for unity, progress, history, and also for the recovery of the reputation of the traditional institutions. We created them to honour the people of these regions.

“I want to assure you that these emirates are permanent; they have come to stay. And anybody that will destroy them, God Almighty will not bring him to Kano State. We assure you that these emirates were created because of you, because of your progress. Even if we are not in government, we are praying and we will keep praying for God to protect these emirates from all evils. I thank you all,” Ganduje reportedly explained.

Recall that one year after he removed Sanusi, Ganduje had at the presentation of a book on former President Goodluck Jonathan, which was authored by a journalist, Mr. Bonaventure Melah, argued that the former emir was not the best man for the throne, adding that he removed him to save the traditional institution from abuse.

He also alleged that the deposed emir was appointed to spite former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Meanwhile, apart from inviting Sanusi to his inauguration, the new governor has not made any public pronouncement on the planned review.

The final decision on the matter resides with him and not the NNPP leader.

However, Sanusi had in a video shortly after his dethronement, declared that he was no longer interested in going back to the throne of Emir of Kano.

The video was shared in March 2020 by Ibrahim Adam, the personal assistant to Yusuf, now governor and PDP governorship candidate in the 2019 elections.

He said, “I have done what I could in six years, I’m moving on. I don’t want to go back. The truth is, if I had wanted to go back, the dethronement letter was so badly written, it was not done professionally. The easiest thing is just to go to court.

“It’s simple, fair hearing, ‘did you query him? Did you ask him to defend himself? Did you even call him to ask him any question?’

“That’s all but I think we should go on to a new phase in life. There is no reason to be sad or be depressed. I know it’s difficult but for me; it’s never an issue,” Sanusi reportedly said.

For now, there is anxiety over the implication of Sanusi’s return to the throne.