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