By Suleiman Umaru
The battle for Supremacy between Abdullahi Gandunje, the governor of Kano state and Sanusi Lamido Sanusi ,Ii, a former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN and now the Emir of Kano , who incidentally is a Cheveni Scholar, which put him above all his Contemporaries, is far from being over.
Ganduje may have reopened the old wound to undermine the Authority of Sanusi II,i, in hosting the yearly Durba . The religious Sallah festival was usually organised during eid el Kabir and eid el Fitri festival celebrations.
Going by the tradition over the last two centuries, it , it begins with prayers, which must be attended by who is who in the old Kano Emirate instate including the governor and other prominent top government officials. Gandunje, the state governor, was said to have attended the eid el Kabir prayer at the Kofar Mata Central Eid ground Last Tusday which was led by the Kano Monarch, according to tradition. The governor may have shocked many people in the state when he showed up at the prayer ground as he was the least person expected because the feud between the duo over the last one year .
The Emir may have used the opportunity provided by the Eid el Kabir prayer to ‘’call on Nigerians to continue to leave in peace with one another so as to foster peace , love and unity in the country’’ The people of the state and the governor were said to have listened attentively to his message after the prayers when he enjoined people of all shades of political opinion and religious inclination to promote peaceful Co-existence to ensure economic growth and development of the country.
Many believe that the governor may have attended the eid el Kabir, prayers, to give the Kano Monarch the impression that he has nothing against him. But unknown to them the governor , who has the ears, of president Muhammadu Buhari, was waiting for an opportunity to get back at the revered Monarch. The opportunity came with the Durba Parade , after the Prayers.
Perhaps to remove the glamour of the Sallah religious festival from the Kano Emirate, he was said to have ordered the District Heads who ought to have relocated to Kano Emirate Council to pay their allegiance to the Kano Monarch to join their First Class Chief in their respective Emirates to celebrate the Durba.
The governor who may not have hidden his dislike for Sanusi, the Emir of Kano , was said to have ordered the Districts, who make the occasion look glamourous not leave their Emirate Council to honour any invitation that may be extended to them by the Kano Monarch going by the tradition to attend the Hawan Daushe in his Palace. The governor , who may not have forgiven the Monarch, for allegedly opposing his re-election bid, , according to sources may have been instrumental for Abba Anwar, the Chief Press Secretary , CPS, Statement that the district Heads must shun the Kano Emir annual Sallah Durba.
In a Statement that was said to have been isued by the CPS, the governor had directed the District Heads of from Bichi, Rano, , Karaye and Gaya Emirate Councils, to attend the Sallah religious festival with their respective first Class Emirs. The governor’s involvement in a purely traditional matter to further whittle down the Authority of Sanusi over the newly installed Emirs from the four additional Emirate Council created in the state , political analysts said was a big blow to the Monarch
Political watchers believe that he had expected to use the opportunity provided by the Sallah Durba to reach out to the Gandunje installed Emirs Aminu Ado Bayero of Bichi Emirate Council, Tafida Abubakar , Rano Emirate, Ibrahim Abubakar II, Karaye and Ibrahim Abdulkadir of Gaya Emirate and their Districts Head in order to resolve their perceived differences for peace to reign in the state traditional institution.
His hopes of reaching out to the other new Emirs and their Districts Head at the Kano Emirate Council Sallah Durba may have been dashed as most of the districts Head from the new Emirates were said to have bowed pressure from tGandunje to join ranks with their respective First Class Emirs to hold Hawan Daushe in their respective Emirates to give opportunity to their people to troop out in their thousands to watch their Emir and District Heads , participate in the Sallah religious festival . This may have worked out as Bichi, Rano, Karaye and Gaya played host to thousands of people who had showed up to watch their Emirs participate in the Durba parade.
The governor may have had the feelings that he had dealt a devastating blow on Sanusi , the Emir of Kano, that would force him to show remorse over his past actions and to be welcome back to the fold of the governor’s friends in the state, he got it wrong.
Eyewitness account, disclosed that absence of most of the Districts Head of Bichi, Rano, Karaye and Gaye at the Kano Emirate event at the instance of the governor was not noticeable as Durba Parade involving the Emir was said to have attracted the usual Crowd from all walks of life. The police, a source confirmed had a difficult time Crowd who were struggling to catch a glimpse of the Sanusi and his District Heas embark on the Horse ride .
Insiders informed The Value News that in spite of the governor’s efforts to force the District Heads of the new Emirates to shun Sanusi’s invitation to participate in the Hawan Daushe in his Emirate Council, , some of them still found their way to Kano Pologround to participate in it because of their allegiance to him.
, There are indications that the renegade Districts Head who failed to comply with the governor’s order to stay within their Emirate Council to join rank ranks with their First Class Emirs may not have owed any loyalty to them because of the circumstances that led to the creation off the Emirates and their appointmnts.
The refusal of some of the District Heads in the four new Emirate Councils to celebrate the Sallah religious festival with their first Class Emirs may have sent a signal to the governor that he has a lot of job to do to calm frayed nerves in the state to avoid a repeat next year.
