One Emirate, two Emirs: Drama, intrigues as Sanusi, Bayero hold court in two palaces

Published

2 years ago

May 26, 2024

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For the emirate of Kano, the last 48 hours have seen series of drama and intrigues playing out in both Kano and Abuja over who finally takes the coveted throne as Emir of Kano between Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero.

Since Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf signed the Kano State Emirates Council (Amendment Number 2) Bill 2024 on Thursday and reinstated Sanusi, there has been tension in Kano State.

According to sources, the state government had planned for Sanusi to move to the Gidan Rumfa Palace on Saturday, but upon getting wind of Bayero’s arrival in the city in the wee hours of the day, the process was hastened, and Sanusi was escorted to the palace before daybreak. This development, sources within the royal family disclosed, compeled Bayero to move into the mini palace in Nassarawa, upon his arrival in the commercial city.

It was gathered on Sunday that 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 1:00am.

Kano’s dangerous ‘Game of Thrones’
On the other hand, Bayero, who had paid a visit to the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona in Ogun State, before his dethronement, was received in Kano by a crowd in the early hours of Saturday. He moved to the mini palace in Nassarawa with a security cover from officers of the military, the police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), leading to speculations that he was backed by the Federal Government.

Emir of Kano’s Palace

Before then, there had been insinuations that a top Federal Government official had facilitated the issuance of the injunction granted by Justice A. M. Liman of the Federal High Court in Kano, which restrained the state government from implementing the new emirate law under which Sanusi was reinstated as the Emir of Kano.

There were series of drama on Saturday in Gidan Dabo as well as in Gidan Nassarawa as people loyal to the two cousins pay homage to them separately.

Nuhu Ribadu denies organising flight for deposed emir

The deputy governor of Kano, Aminu Abdusalam Gwarzo, while speaking from the Gidan Rumfa Palace, where Sanusi had earlier moved to, alleged that the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, arranged two jets to fly the dethroned emir into Kano.

“We have not understood their intention,” he said.

But responding, the spokesperson of the Office of the NSA, Zakari Mijinyawa, said the allegation was untrue.

He said: “Political actors should desist from misinforming the public as law enforcement officials in the state strive to maintain peace and order,” Mijinyawa said.

Meanwhile, Ribadu’s lawyer, Sanusi Musa, SAN, has asked the deputy governor to retract the allegation.

“You have, without any justification, ridiculed the exalted office of the National Security Adviser, which our client occupies by portraying it as a ready tool to be used by politicians to achieve political goals. You have also ridiculed the personality of our client who has built a reputation as a principled and honest citizen in both his public and private life,” the lawyer told the deputy governor.

Police vow to enforce court order against Sanusi’s reinstatement

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Usaini Mohammed Gumel, yesterday ignored Governor Yusuf’s order for Bayero’s arrest and said the police would enforce the court order stopping Sanusi’s reinstatement.

The governor had, according to a statement by his spokesman, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, accused 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.

“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,” the statement read in part.

Later at a press conference, the CP said the police would obey the order that restrained the state government from implementing the repealed law of the Kano Emirates Council, warning troublemakers to steer clear.

“The police command is expressly obeying the court order with suit no. FHC/KN/CS/182/2024 Dated 23rd May, 2024 issued by the Federal High Court sitting in Kano alongside all law enforcement agents in the state.

“Therefore, we are calling on members of the public to know that the police in the state are working together with the military and other security agencies and have full capacity to provide adequate security to everyone, as we are committed to carrying out our statutory duties as provided by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” CP Gumel said.

Gumel, in company of the Director of the State Security Services and other security chiefs in the state, met with Bayero yesterday, after the press conference.

Later while speaking in Hausa, Bayero said no one is above the law, calling “on the people to remain law-abiding while awaiting the outcome of the legal process on this tussle.

“We call on the authority to do justice in this matter. Kano is a very influential state in Nigeria. Whatever affects Kano affects Nigeria. May peace reign in Kano. We pray for Allah to bless Kano with responsible and just leaders. Justice is the way to go on every issue. There will be justice. Nobody is above the law.

“We will accept whatever the law says. I appreciate all the people who have shown concern. As I said, justice will take its course. We will keep on praying for peace in Kano State. May Allah, the Almighty, protect us,” Bayero said.

What Sanusi told security chiefs

The security chiefs later went to the Gidan Rumfa Palace and met with Sanusi and Governor Yusuf.

A source at the meeting said the governor allowed the security chiefs to have an audience with Sanusi alone.

The source said the security chiefs informed Sanusi about the decision to enforce the court order stopping his reinstatement.

“The emir, who spoke for over an hour during the meeting, told us that what the state government had done was justice against the injustice meted out to him in the past.

“He told us that he had not seen the court order we were referring to, describing it as a media court order until he sees it,” the source said.

Later in an interview with Television Continental (TVC), Sanusi reiterated that his return to the throne was a correction of injustice done to the people, culture and tradition of Kano.

He said he was not given the opportunity to defend himself before he was dethroned in 2020.

State Assembly breached procedure–Dan Agundi

Aminu Babba Danagundi, a kingmaker in Kano, who had secured the restraining order against Sanusi’s reinstatement, at a press conference at the Nassarawa mini palace yesterday, explained why he challenged the new Kano Emirates Law that sacked the five emirs.

Danagundi was reinstated as Sarkin Dawaki Babba and made a kingmaker by Emir Aminu Bayero.

He said the State House of Assembly did not follow due process in passing the bill as there was no public hearing.

He said the five deposed emirs would join his suit challenging the new law.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar alleged that the deployment of security forces in Kano over the emirship tussle, by the federal government, contravenes the 1999 constitution as amended.

Atiku, according to a statement by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, warned the federal government against making any attempt to destabilise Kano which, he said, had been known for peace over the years.

Similarly, the council of ulamas in Kano, in a statement signed by members of the council led by Shaikh Abdullahi Uwais Limanci, said the situation could degenerate into chaos if not carefully handled.

The council called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to allow the people of Kano State to resolve the issue amicably “without the use of any force or loss of lives.”

Also, the Kano State branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), in a statement by its chairman, Sagir Suleiman Gezawa, said the army lacks the powers to enforce court order.

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EFCC says it froze Osun account over ‘fraudulent handling’ of N11bn ecological, intervention funds

Published

2 hours ago

August 5, 2026

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has explained that it froze the bank account of the Osun state government over alleged fraudulent handling of N11 billion ecological and intervention funds.

The anti-graft agency, in a statement on Wednesday, said it has been investigating the Osun state government since March regarding the alleged mishandling of the funds.

According to the agency, some officials of the state government, including the accountant-general of the state, had been interviewed by EFCC investigators.

The agency said amid the probe, it observed that huge transfers of funds were being made from the account into different corporate entities since August 2.

“These ongoing investigations of the state government would not have warranted any placement of Post No Debit order on its account but for the precipitate and unwarranted movement of funds from the accounts to different suspicious accounts since August 2, 2026,” the statement reads.

“The Commission noticed huge transfers of funds into different corporate entities and had to swiftly halt the trend by freezing the accounts from which such heavy funds are being moved.

“The EFCC’s preventive mandate is a public-inclined framework of safeguarding public funds, assets and resources.

“The Commission cannot watch idly while a state government’s account is being pillaged.”

The anti-graft agency said it is aware of the forthcoming Osun governorship election, adding that it is “uncharitable” to overlook the huge transfers of funds over the “excuse of an upcoming election”.

“The Osun State government account was frozen to save public funds from being looted,” the agency said.

In a letter dated August 5, 2026, and signed by Adenike Babalola, assistant commander of the EFCC on behalf of the director of investigation, the anti-graft agency directed First Bank not to allow withdrawals from the Osun state government’s statutory allocation account as part of an ongoing investigation.

The agency instructed the bank to place a post-no-debit restriction on the account pending the conclusion of the probe.

Reacting to the development, Ademola Adeleke, Osun governor, said the state government will not accept a situation in which federal government agencies trample upon the rights of subnational governments.

Adeleke said the Osun government has been witnessing numerous sponsored attacks, including the harassment of Accord party members and the move to stall the operations of LGAs in the state.

Adeleke said he has directed the attorney-general of the state to challenge the “illegality”.

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Osun threatens lawsuit as EFCC freezes govt account 10 days to election

Published

8 hours ago

August 5, 2026

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Less than 24 hours after Governor Ademola Adeleke alleged that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was planning to freeze the state government account domiciled with First Bank, the anti-graft agency has reportedly freezed the account, according to Vanguard.

The account, reportedly used for the payment of workers’ salaries, was placed on “Post No Debit” status by the anti-graft agency.

The development came hours after Governor Ademola Adeleke raised the alarm that the EFCC was planning to freeze the state government’s accounts and those of top government officials ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

In a statement issued earlier on Wednesday by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, Adeleke described the alleged move as an attempt to cripple government activities before the poll.

The governor had insisted that there was no legal basis for freezing the accounts of a state government, arguing that the EFCC lacked the statutory powers to take such action.

However, a source reportedly told Vanguard that the account had already been restricted.

“I can confirm that the state government account has been frozen by the EFCC. It is no longer an allegation. The governor will address the press shortly to update the public on the situation,” the source reportedly told Vanguard.

The reason for the restriction was not immediately known as of the time of filing this report.

The EFCC had yet to issue an official statement on the development.

The development comes as Osun prepares for its August 15 governorship election, with the account restriction expected to generate political reactions ahead of the poll.

Meanwhile, the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwole Jimi-Bada, had said he has the mandate of the governor to sue the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for freezing the government accounts.

Jimi-Bada said a ‘Post no debit’ letter from the EFCC was forwarded to the management of the First Bank where Osun government accounts were domiciled on Wednesday.

The commissioner, who expressed readiness to proceed to court, said the move by the anti-graft agency may hamper government’s business, noted that Governor Ademola Adeleke was not using state funds to run its campaign for reelection.

“I have the mandate of the governor to proceed to the Federal High Court to challenge this move. EFCC can investigate the accounts but it can’t freeze the accounts without order of court.

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WAEC releases 2026 WASSCE results, withholds 167,486 candidate’s results over malpractice

Published

11 hours ago

August 5, 2026

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The West African Examinations Council says it is withholding the results of 167,486 candidates, representing 8.59 per cent of those who sat the 2026 Computer-Based West African Senior School Certificate Examination for School candidates, over alleged examination malpractice.

This was disclosed by the Head of WAEC Nigeria National Office, Dr Amos Dangut, who announced the release of the results in Lagos on Wednesday.

The number of withheld reults, however, represents a decline from the 9.7 per cent recorded in 2025.

Dangut said the council withheld the affected results due to various infractions, including the increasing use of mobile phones in examination halls despite the existing ban and organised cheating in some schools.

“The increasing use of cell phones in the examination hall, in spite of the existing ban, and organised cheating in some schools, are other nagging issues,” Dangut said.

He added that some supervisors and invigilators found assisting candidates in malpractice had been arrested and would face disciplinary action through the relevant state ministries of education.

A total of 1,959,668 candidates from 24,207 schools registered for the examination across Nigeria, Benin Republic, Côte d’Ivoire and Equatorial Guinea, while 1,950,726 candidates eventually sat for the examination.

1,200,514 candidates (61.54 per cent) obtained credits and above in at least five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.

1,687,378 candidates (86.50 per cent) secured credits and above in a minimum of five subjects, with or without English Language and Mathematics.

The number of candidates who obtained credits in five subjects including English and Mathematics dropped by 1.42 percentage points compared with the 2025 examination.

Of the 1.2 million candidates who achieved credits in English and Mathematics:

558,883 (28.65 per cent) were male.

641,631 (32.89 per cent) were female.

Overall, 997,267 females (51.12 per cent) and 953,459 males (48.88 per cent) participated in the examination.

WAEC said 1,834,695 candidates, representing 94.05 per cent, had their results fully processed and released, while the results of 116,031 candidates (5.95 per cent) were still being processed.

The council also disclosed that 1,213 candidates with special needs participated in the examination. They included:

137 visually impaired candidates;

491 candidates with hearing impairment;

55 spastic and mentally challenged candidates; and

41 physically challenged candidates.

The 2026 examination marked the second edition of the Computer-Based WASSCE for School Candidates, following the introduction of the format by WAEC.

Dangut said the council introduced several innovations, including the Digital Examiner Mark System to improve the speed of processing results, serialisation of question papers to curb malpractice, and a new portal that allows candidates to generate e-PINs directly for checking their results.

The examination was conducted between April 24 and June 19, 2026, with 102,708 examiners involved in marking across 88 marking venues.

Dangut, who described the briefing as his third and final engagement as WAEC Nigeria National Office head, said candidates sponsored by states indebted to the council would not have their results released until the outstanding payments were cleared.