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The politics, intrigues of 2027 playing out
It used to be one emir, since the beginning of the Kano emirate back in the year 999. Now, two emirs exist – one at the main palace, the other at the annex palace, and both are claiming control of the throne.
This is not only wrong but ugly and despicable.
Kano emirate, one of the oldest and revered kingdoms in West Africa has been thrown into an unprecedented crisis that even the analysts are trying to come to terms with the facts on how to resolve the royal impasse.
The present scenario is that both the reinstated emir, Muhammadu Sanusi ll and the deposed king, Aminu Ado Bayero are claiming the control of the kingdom after the Kano state House of Assembly repealed the Kano Emirate Council Law (2019) and enacted the Emirate Council Bill (2024) which sacked all the five emirates in the state and reinstated Sanusi.
Citizenship Daily recalls that the rich history and culture of Kano state has suffered setbacks since 2019 when the immediate past governor of Kano state, who is now the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje signed the Kano Emirate Council bill (2019), into law, which paved the way for the creation of four additional emirates, namely Rano, Karaye, Gaya and Bichi while retaining the existing Kano emirate. The old Kano emirate was balkanized into five, each with its own First Class Emir. With the new arrangement, the Emir of Kano became the life Chairman of the Kano Council of Emirs.
Though ex-governor Ganduje justified his action with reasons that the creation of additional emirates would take development to the hinterlands and salvage the desire of the people who believed that Kano is too big a state to have only one Emirate. However, analysts see the decision as retaliation against the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, who allegedly worked against Ganduje’s 2019 controversial election victory.
Emir Sanusi’s open criticism of government policies resulted in serious aggression between him and Governor Ganduje.
In demonstration of anger, former Governor Ganduje sometime in 2020 queried, deposed and banished Emir Sanusi. The then Emir of Bichi, Aminu Ado Bayero was returned as Emir of Kano, while his younger brother, Nasiru Ado Bayero was elevated to the status of First Class Emir and moved to control the Bichi Emirate.
The deposition and banishment of Sanusi, who was appointed as the emir in 2014 by the then governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso after the death of emir Ado Bayero further heightened the fierce rivalry between the two former governors. This also raised political dust and power play between Kwankwaso and Ganduje – two former political associates.
The Kwankwasiyya Movement, controlled by Kwankwaso did not take it lightly. They were sympathetic to Sanusi when he was dethroned by Ganduje and vowed to reinstate him whenever they returned to power.
They have succeeded in doing that by reinstating Sanusi but the controversy is still raging, and fiercely so.
When the Kwankwasiyya Movement grabbed power in 2023 on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), with Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf emerging as the Governor, it became apparent that the Kano traditional institution would shake as he did not hide his desire to return Kano to its old structure of one emirate. Many also believed that Governor Yusuf would remove Emir Aminu Ado Bayero who was alleged to have strongly supported the APC in the 2023 general elections in the state.
Subsequently, something that started as rumor became reality when the Kano state House of Assembly, with majority of NNPP lawmakers repealed the Kano Emirate Council Law (2019) and enacted the Emirate Council Bill (2024) which Governor Yusuf signed into law. Using the instrument of that law, Governor Yusuf abolished the five Emirates, deposed the Emirs, including Emir Aminu Ado Bayero, and reinstated Emir Muhammad Sanusi ll as the one and only Emir of Kano.
His action which did not go down well with Ganduje and members of the APC in Kano and Abuja, including some Kingmakers, particularly, Aminu Babba Dan Agundi, led to a series of litigations and court actions where the matter is being argued. It also created political tension in the state, heightened by the surprise return of deposed Emir Aminu Ado Bayero, who cut short his trip outside the state and occupied the Nasarawa Palace, allegedly with the backing of Abuja politicians who have sworn to ensure that the abolished five Emirates in Kano are reinstated.
The controversial judgment delivered by a Federal High Court sitting in Kano on Thursday, June 20 which reversed the dethronement of Emir Bayero and four other Emirs of Bichi, Rano, Karaye and Gaya Emirates, further complicated the issue. The Court set aside all steps taken by Kano State government to repeal the Kano Emirates Council Law (2019), which which split Kano Emirates into five namely: Kano, Bichi, Rano, Karaye and Gaya Emirates with First Class Emirs.
In his ruling on, Justice Abdullahi Muhammad Liman believed that the 2024 Kano Emirate repealed Law remained valid, but all actions taken after the signing of the law were voided. This further heightened tension in the state. Recall that a famous king-maker in Kano Emirate, Aminu Babba Danagundi, the Sarkin Dawaki Babba, had challenged the repeal of Emirate Council Law (2019) by Kano state government in Court through his counsel, Chikaosolu Ojukwu (SAN).
Following the court ruling, Kano state government insisted that Sanusi remains the authentic Emir of Kano.The state government had directed the Commissioner of Police to ensure that deposed Emir Bayero vacated the Nasarawa mini Palace to give way for the renovation of the property.
Although the Police are apparently in control of the situation, there was palpable tension in the state, especially when hunters and vigilante groups were mobilized to provide security for Sanusi at the main palace.
Citizenship Daily reports that the police repeatedly warned the residents to desist from breaking law and order after it banned all forms of protest and demonstration in Kano, the second most populous state in the country, next only to Lagos.
However, despite the pressure coming from the presidency, Governor Yusuf has vowed never to renege on his actions just as Emir Sanusi and Emir Aminu have insisted on sitting on the throne.
Analysts say the royal battle is a flashpoint to 2027 elections in the state. They further say that the two warring emirs are believably supported by two branches of government – Bayero is supported by the Federal Government while Sanusi is enjoying the backing of the state government.
Some feelers see the crisis as an opportunity to control the politics of the state in 2027 between Ganduje, backed by the ruling APC and Kwankwaso, who has the support of the voters, especially the youths in the state.
But, Governor Yusuf’s spokesperson, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, in one of his articles entitled: “Kano Games Of The Throne: A Fight To Finish,” argued that: “With the unfolding events in the history of Kano Emirate Council, the name of His Excellency, Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf will be laced on the plates of gold considering the role he is devotedly playing to restore the battered image and distortion of the revered Kano Emirate.”
In his opinion, the division of the Kano Emirate and elevation of the District Heads of Bichi, Rano, Karaye and Gaya to First Class Emirs was to spite Emir Sanusi, who after all, did not give a wink. Unsatisfied that dividing the Kano Emirate did not distract the popular Emir Sanusi from speaking truth to power. According to him, “Ganduje and his co-travellers concocted allegations of insubordination that led to the unjust dethronement and banishment of Emir Sanusi, an action, which was widely condemned by men of good conscience. Emir Sanusi fought and secured his freedom and fundamental human rights of freedom of movement through the Court; and moved on with his life—- going about doing good and offering valuable advice to administrators and leaders across the world for a better world.
“During his electioneering campaigns, part of the promises made to the people of Kano by Governor Yusuf was that his administration will not only restore the battered traditional institution of Kano, but will also reinstate Emir Sanusi who was maliciously removed by ex-Governor Ganduje. Based on this promise, among others, the good people of Kano state overwhelmingly voted for Abba Gida-Gida. Today, the Governor has no choice, than to implement and execute the wishes of the people. It is a social contract he signed with the people of Kano, which must be fulfilled, no matter whose ox is gored.”
Bature insisted that Governor Yusuf’s action is not new to Kano political and traditional landscape. Adequate legal steps were taken to repeal the Kano Emirate Council Law (2019). The enactment of the Emirate Council Law (2024) ensured the death and burial of Kano Emirate Law (2019), “maliciously created by Ganduje as a weapon to humiliate and ridicule Emir Sanusi. Indeed, Emir Sanusi’s return as the 16th Emir of Kano rekindled important aspect of Kano history which played out in the late 1970s and early 1980s.”
However, during the administration of ex-Governor Abubakar Rimi of blessed memory, there was an attempt to create five emirates in Kano State by splitting the Kano Emirate into five. Some members of the royal family and other traditional rulers, who saw it as an attempt to weaken the Kano Emirate’s influence opposed this move. However, Rimi went ahead with the plan and created the new emirates of Gaya, Karaye, Dutse, Rano, and Kano in April 1981. The Kano Emirate was reduced in size and given a more ceremonial role, while the new emirates were granted more administrative and political powers.The Emir of Kano at the time was not deposed. But was queried for his movements in July 1981 after returning from a journey. The move led to riots in Kano and Rimi never recovered politically and resigned in 1983 after falling out with Aminu Kano. When Governor Sabo Bakin Zuwo took over in 1983, he reversed the decision and restored the Kano Emirate to its original size and status, with the other emirates abolished. His decision was seen as an attempt to restore the traditional balance of power and to address the concerns of those who opposed the creation of the new emirates. Sabo Bakin Zuwo’s action was viewed by many as reflecting the wishes of the people, just the same way some people are hailing the NNPP’s Governor Yusuf for restoring the integrity of Kano Emirate.
However, a renowned Envoy and Conflict Manager, Ambassador Hussaini Haruna Commassie, frowned at the “irrational” dethronement of traditional rulers, particularly Emirs in northern Nigeria, by state governors, with a passionate appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly to enact laws that will save the traditional institutions from “reckless abuse” by state governors. Ambassador Commassie, the Global Vice Chairman, International Commission for Peace and Good Governance, who reacted to the Emirship tussle in Kano, also urged Governor Yusuf to discard Emir Muhammad Sanusi 11 and dethroned Emir Aminu Ado Bayero to pave way for the emergence of a new Emir in the interest of peace since the two brothers have refused to step down for each other.
“I am advising Kano state government that both Emir Sanusi and Emir Aminu should be kept aside since both of them are not agreeing to step down; and they are not the only Princes of Kano. So, they should be kept aside. The King-makers should appoint three persons that will contest for the throne. This will go a long way to solving the problem; and it will be better for Kano state government,” he said. The Diplomat who is also the Head of Mission, International Peace Commission, Nigeria, blamed both former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for allowing the Kano Emirship tussle to take peace-threatening dimension.
As the legal battle continues with the two Emirs strongly laying claims to the throne, pundits believe that the Kano Emirship tussle is tied to the race for the 2027 general elections in the state. Currently, royal flags are flying at the two opposing palaces.
