They need to be seen not heard. The Kano stakeholders should meet president Bola Ahmed Tinubu with one strong voice to resolve this simmering emirship tussle amicably.
It is no longer news,the dethroned Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sunusi 11, has been reinstated by governor of Kano, Abba Kabir Yusuf. The development followed the signing of the Kano State Emirate Council (Repeal) Bill 2024 by the governor. The bill was passed by the State House of Assembly. The new law also abolished the five emirates established by the administration of the immediate past governor of the state and national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Umar Ganduje. With the development, the 15th Emir of Kano Aminu Ado Bayero, Emir of Bichi Nasir Ado Bayero, Emir of Rano Kabiru Muhammad Inuwa, Emir of Karaye Ibrahim Abubakar II and Emir of Gaya Aliyu Ibrahim Abdulkadir have been sacked.
The Ganduje led government had,
December 5, 2019, took Bichi, Gaya, Karaye and Rano emirates off the then Kano Emirate, following the governor’s assent to an amendment law on October 14, 2020, and signed another amendment on April 11, 2023.Section 3(1) of the law established five distinct emirates. They include kano, Bichi, Rano, Gaya and Karaye. However,the reinstatement of Sunusi Lamido Sunusi has been trailed by unending controversy. It could be recalled, Aminu Baba Dan agundi, Sarkin Dawaki Babba,one of the Kano emirate kingmakers has opposed going back to the old order and got injunction from the federal high court stopping the state government from abolishing all the five emirates created during the Ganduje administration.
However,the state government snubbed the injunction and quickly gave the appointment letter to SLS in a colourful ceremony held in Kano government house.
The dethroned Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, who was outside the state was secretly flown back to Kano and continue to lay claim of the throne. Kano State governor, Abba Kabir has ordered the arrest of Aminu Ado for trying to cause confusion and chaos in the state. With the state High court which ordered SLS to be reinstated,there is conflicting order passed by two courts. The controversy arising from the two conflicting orders has necessated the chief justice of the Federation, Olukayode Ariwoola, to summon the two judges. Also, the Nigerian Bar Association,(NBA) took a swipe on the judges and lawyers who allegedly fueled the crises for their own personal interests. The association promises to investigate and punish the lawyers and judges who released the conflicting orders. While the intervention from chief justice of the Federation can be seen as a good development, the Kano emirship tussle can be gleaned from political perspective.
The revered Kano traditional institution has become pawns in the hands of desperate politicians. At the eve of 2015 general elections, Sunusi Lamido Sunusi, then central Bank governor, blew the whistle of corruption in NNPC. He accused NNPC for not remitting billions of dollars to the Federation account. President Goodluck Jonathan who was not comfortable with Sunusi’s diatribe relieved off his appointment. Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso who decamped to APC from PDP made Sunusi Lamido Sunusi the emir of Kano following the death of late Ado Bayero. After Kwankwaso parted out with his deputy, Umar Ganduje, he sponsored his in-law,Abba Kabir Yusuf to challenge him in 2019 general elections, under the platform of PDP. Ganduje won the election in most controversial manner. Sunusi Lamido Sunusi seemed to had opposed to Ganduje return through his utterances. Ganduje accused Sunusi Lamido Sunusi for insubordination. In 2020,he dethroned and banished him to awe,in Nasarawa state.
After NNPP won Kano gubernatorial election in 2023,its chieftain, Rabiu Kwankwaso stated in an interview that, the Kano government will review the emirates created by the former administration, if the need arises. With his statement,one foresees the abolishment of Kano’s five emirates as a matter of time.
Dethroment is not new in the history of Kano emirate. From time immemorial, many emirs had been dethroned and appointed. Therefore,it is surprising,how this one generates unsettle dust. Constitutionally, state governor has the power to dethrone and appointed emir. I think, governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, is exercising this power confer to him by the laws. After all, in 2019, Ganduje used state house of assembly to amend the emirate laws, leading to the creation of fives emirates. Today, the same state house of assembly amends the laws that abolishes the emirates.
The politicisation of our traditional institutions have reduced them to mere objects of ridiculous. In the case of Kano, unless this ungly scenario is completely changed, it will become a recurring event. Future governors may toe this dangerous path. Traditional rulers should avoid being partisan. They are symbols of hereditary.
They need to be seen not heard. The Kano stakeholders should meet president Bola Ahmed Tinubu with one strong voice to resolve this simmering emirship tussle amicably.
Ibrahim Mustapha Pambegua, Kaduna State.08169056963.
