Kano Emirate Crisis: Sanusi, Bayero holding court from separate palaces

The police have asked the state government to obey a court order that is against the deposition of the Kano emirs.

The tussle for the Kano emirship appears to be in full steam as two men, Aminu Ado Bayero and Lamido Sanusi, have asserted claims to the position and are acting as such from two different palaces.

While the man reinstated by the state government, Mr Sanusi, is holding court at the main Kano emir’s palace, the man deposed by the government, Mr Ado Bayero is at the mini palace at the Nassarawa GRA both in Kano city.

Mr Ado Bayero surprisingly returned from a trip to Kano on Saturday morning, a day after Mr Sanusi was formally reinstated.

Mr Sanusi has been receiving greetings and homages from district heads at the.

He rode on a horse to the chamber to the sound of multiple gun salutes from the palace guards. Hundreds of sympathisers, mostly red cap-wearing supporters of the state’s ruling New Nigeria People Party (NNPP) are being bused from the local government areas to the main emir’s palace.

The movement of the people to the palace was said to be in connection with an alleged plan by federal authorities to relocate Mr Ado-Bayero to the palace.

The security agencies and police have asked the state government to obey a court order halting the deposition of Mr Ado-Bayero and his colleagues in the scrapped Bichi, Karaye, Rano and Gaya emirates.

The court ordered the parties involved in the crisis to maintain the status quo until the hearing of the interim injunction, scheduled for 3 June.

The state government, however, faulted the order, saying the judge that granted it was outside the country when he did so.

Nobody is above the law

At the mini palace at Narassawa GRA, Mr Ado Bayero too has received homages from some district heads and title holders who are against his deposition.

PREMIUM TIMES saw dozens of descendants of late Emir Ado Bayero rally around their brother in a show of solidarity and support as he arrived in Kano Saturday morning.

Aminu Dan’agundi, a title holder and senior counsellor in Kano emirate, who filed the case in court, is also at the mini palace with Mr Ado Bayero.

There, Mr Ado Bayero has urged his supporters and residents to remain calm and allow the law to take its course, saying that nobody is above the law.

He said that he was confident that justice would prevail in the end.

“I call on the people to remain law-abiding as we await the pronouncement from the court in this legal matter.

“We call on the authority to be fair and just in this matter. Kano is like a mirror and an influential state in Nigeria, whatever affects Kano may escalate across. 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.

“We will keep on praying for peace in Kano State. May Allah the Almighty protect us,” Mr Ado Bayero said while addressing his supporters.

Kano Govt blames Ganduje

The Kano State Deputy Governor, Aminu Abdulsalam, blamed the confusion on the immediate past governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, who is now the National Chairman of Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The deputy governor said Mr Ganduje is using the office of the National Security Adviser to create chaos in the state by facilitating Saturday’sreturn of Mr Ado Bayero to the state.

But the office of the National Security Adviser denied the allegation and warned politicians in the state to be mindful of their utterances.

“It is unfortunate that the APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, is using the National Security Adviser to create tension in the state by smuggling into the state, the former emir, Aminu Ado Bayero.

“The appointment and dethronement of emir or any traditional title holder is solely the prerogative of the state government,” the deputy governor said, accusing the federal government of interference.

However, Mr Ganduje’s spokesperson, Edwin Olofu, said his principal who he said was attending a meeting of APC in Nasarawa State, has no connection with the development in Kano.