By Suleiman Umaru
The struggle for supremacy and control of Kano state, between Senator,abiu Kwankwaso, a former governor, who had installed Mahammad Sanusi, II, as the Emir of Kano and Abdullahi Gandunje , who incidentally had served a Deputy governor under him and the immediate past governor of the state and now Chairman of the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, who had dethroned Sanusi, and banished him from the state in 2014, appears to have been settled with Kwankwanso’s camp laughing last.
The problem between the duo became pronounced with the later’s dethronement of Sanusi, a- one- time governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and Kwankwaso’s installed Emir of Kano the at the instance of the then Ppesident Goodluck Jonathan. The then deposed Emir had alleged the non-remittance of $20 billion , by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, now baptized Nigerian National Petroleum Company, NNPC, with the signing of the Petroleum Industry Bill , PIB, by the erstwhile President Muammadu Buhari, in AAugust 2023, into the Federation Account.
The former CBN, governor, and dethroned Emir of Kano, who many believe was politically motivated had remained calm, and only appearing in public functions to deliver intellectual papers. He was said to have delivered the key note address at the recent’’ Economic and Investment Summit’’ organized by Siminalayi Fubara, led Rivers state Government.
The reinstated Emir of Kano, who had described Rivers state as the second largest economy in Nigeria after Lagos, the nation’s Commercial nerve center as it has the resources to achieve development and attract investment had received a thunderous applause.
Unknown to many the appearance at the Rivers state Summit, may be the last official assignment for him as a private citizen as Abba Kabir Yusuf, the governor of Kano state on the platform of the New Nigeria’s Party, NNPP, and political ally of Kwankwanso, a former governor of the state had concluded plans to return him to his exalted office as the Emir of Kano, in keeping with his electioneering Campaign promises in the 2023, general election in order to continue to play his fatherly role in the state.
As a prelude to reinstating the former CBN, governor and the 14th Emir of Kano, the governor who had kept tom his promise was said to have sent the Kano Emirate’s Council Law Repeal Bill, 2024, which dethrones all the five first Class Emirs to the State Assembly for approval.
Gandunje, a former governor of the state who believes that the traditional office of the Emir of Kano is too powerful and needed to be whittled down had created Bichi, Rano, Gaya and Karaye as well as the Kano Emirate Councils, thus creating five first Class Emirs. The Kano state House of Assembly members who appears to be working closely with the governor were said to have passed the bill reviving single Emirate Council system in the north western state.
Going by the new Emirate Council Law of Kano state, which had been signed into Law by Gov. Yusuf of the ruling NNPP, in the state, all offices created under the repealed Law have been dissolved and the district Heads elevated to first class Emirs, under the Previous Administration of Gundunje led All Progressive Congress, APC, government in the state asked to revert back to their former positions.
Gandunje, the APC, National Chairman, may have known that his successor, do not have the political muscle to dissolve the new Emirate Councils, to reduce the powers of the office of the Emir of Kano without the backing of Sen. Kwankwanso. He is right
Prior to the 2023, general election,Sen. Kwankwanso, who has been acknowledged as ‘’the Leader of Kankwansiyya Movement’’ , had made it clear for those that cares to listen that Yusuf, the governor-elect who was said to have battled him through the Court process , up to the Supreme Court Nasir Yusuf Gawuna, to unseat him but failed had said that the incumbent governor of the state would ‘’revisit the dethronement of the Sanusi, the dethroned Emir of Kano by the Gandunje government.
Former governor Kwankwaso had said that the four new Emirates created by Gandunje, were ‘’etiquettes of unity, progress and even development across the state’’. The message was clear that the newly created Emirates will go under the Ledership of Yusuf as governor of the state. He had his way.
When the plan to dissolved the newly created Emirate Councils was hatched and it got to the ears of the APC , National Chairman,he had prayed that ‘’God should not allow anybody to destroy the four new Emirate Councils created by his Administration’’ . The prayers may not have been ‘’answered by God’’, as the reinstated Emir Sanusi II, had said that ‘’the Lawmakers and the governor were on a rescue mission to save the revered Emir of Kano stool from destruction.
As an Emir waiting on the wings to take over the Palace expected to be vacated by Ado Bayero, Gandunje’s installed Emir of Kano, Sanusi, did not hesitate to move into the Palace, as Yusuf, the state state governor issues him the official letter as the Emir of Kano. He had said that with the reinstatement of Sanusi, II, as he Emir of Kano, it means that ‘’the Kano Emirate has been restored to its original 2019 status of having only one Emir’’.
Former Gov. Gandunje, appointed Emir of Kano, may have known that the party is over as soldiers were deployed to his mini-palace in Nasarawa state, to provide him additional security. However, he had returned to Kano on Saturday, May 26, 2023, amidst tight security and cheers from the people. Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, Chief Press Secretary to the governor had said that the dethroned 1Emir, was smuggled into the Kano in an attempt to restore the Emir’s Pace, now occupied by Sanusi II, to him forcefully. A team of soldiers had moved into his palace in Nasarawa, where the 15th Emir had relocated, following his dethronement. The reason for the additional troop deployment remains unclear.
There are indications that Nuhu Ribadu, a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG, and now National Security Adviser, NSA, to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Administration, was said to have faclitated the return of the dethroned Emir, fueling speculations making the rounds that Gandunje had used the Federal might to facilitate the return of the dethroned Emir.
That much was confirmed by Abdulsalam Gwarzo, the state deputy governor, who was said to have accompanied the governor, Yusuf, to escort the 14 the Emir of Kano, back to the Palace, vacated some years ago.
Even former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, during Olusegun asanjo’s Administration and Presidential Candidate of the Opposition People’ Democratic Party, PDP, had sad that the deposed Emir of Kano , couldn’t have returned to Kano , when there is already a new Emir on ground performing the traditional duties of the office without ‘’the backing of the Federal Government’’.
Meanwhile, the NSA , who will not agree with allegations that he had facilitated the return of the dethroned Emir back to Kano, had said that ‘’nobody has any right to intefee or enforce anyone on Kano people,’’ was said to have repeatedly said that he did not ‘’provide the aircraft that returned Bayero, the dethroned Emir to the north western state.
In spite of the fact that the return of the dethroned Emir had made a mockery of Gov. Yusuf’s Order to banish him to Nasarawa state, amidst tight security, the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, under the close watch of Kyode Egbetokun, on Saturday, May 26, 2024, had said that ‘’the Police won’t arrest the deposed Emir as ordered by the state governor.
Mohammed Usain Gumel, the state Commissioner of Police, may have spoken the mind of the IGP, who reports to the President that the police and all other security agencies in the state, including the Department of State Service, DSS, won’t carry out the governor’s order to arrest the dethroned Emir, who had had returned to Kano.
The Kano start state , number one Corp, may have sent a message to Gov. Yusuf, that they were ‘’obeying the court order that had restrained the state government from enforcing the new law that had reinstated Sanusi, as the Emir of Kano.
Nigerian are watching to see how the Emirship tussle in Kano between the Kwankwanso’s camp which has the support of the people and Gandunje’s camp which has the Federal support will end.
