Kano Gov reinstates Sanusi, gives dethroned Emirs 48 hours to quit, Northern elders express concern
By Emma Ogbuehi
Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, on Thursday, May 23, reinstated former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Lamido Sanusi as the 14th Emir of Kano.
Sanusi was dethroned by the Abdullahi Ganduje-led administration that created additional four emirates.
Yusuf on Thursday dethroned Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero and four other first-class emirs in the state.
He also ordered the Emirs who were ousted by the Kano State Emirate Council Law 2024 passed by the state House of Assembly on Thursday, May 23, to vacate their palaces within the next 48 hours.
Those affected by the directive are five emirs who were installed by Governor Ganduje.
The former governor had split the Kano Emirate by creating an additional four emirates.
The created Emirates were Karaye, Gaya, Bichi and Rano.
READ ALSO: Emir Bayero vacates throne as Sanusi plans grand entry into Kano
However, Yusuf on Thursday, May 23, dethroned Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero and four other first-class emirs in the state.
Meanwhile, the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has expressed concern over the dethronement of Kano Emirs.
The Forum on the other hand blamed the previous administration for creating new emirates, saying such action threatens the unity and cohesion of the traditional structure and undermines the centuries-old customs, values, and traditions that are the bedrock of Nigerian society.
In a press release by its director of publicity and advocacy, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, the forum warned that the crisis in the Kano emirate has significantly raised public tensions and concerns.
It, however, urged the Kano State government and the involved politicians to handle the situation with utmost care and professionalism to prevent further escalation.
“It is important for all parties involved to approach this matter with the utmost care and professionalism, keeping in mind the potential consequences of their actions. Rash decisions and inflammatory statements can only serve to worsen the situation and jeopardize the peace and stability of the state,” NEF stated.
The Forum also called on the public to remain calm and law-abiding, stressing that violence and unrest would only further divide the community and hinder peaceful resolution efforts.
The Elders emphasized the need for unity and mutual understanding during this crisis, noting that, the traditional institution in Nigeria has long faced challenges that have rendered it weak and ineffective.
According to NEF, “Creation of multiple emirates in Kano is a deliberate attempt to weaken the authority of traditional rulers, making them more susceptible to political control and manipulation.”
The arbitrary dethronement and replacement of high-ranking traditional rulers in Kano, according to the NEF, undermine their authority and legitimacy.
“This move threatens the unity and cohesion of the traditional structure and undermines the centuries-old customs, values, and traditions that are the bedrock of Nigerian society,” the Forum stressed.