I’ve No Hands In Emir Sanusi’s Reinstatement – Kwankwaso

Amid speculations of being the brain behind the reinstatement of Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II as the Emir of Kano, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP)’s presidential Candidate in the 2023 general elections, Alhaji Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has denied influencing the exercise.

Governor Abba Yusuf on Thursday approved the reinstatement of Emir Sanusi after the Kano State House of Assembly repealed the existing Emirate Council Law.

However, Kwankwaso, who is leader of the popular Kwankwasiyya movement, said contrary to the rumours being peddled in some quarters, he had no inkling nor prior knowledge of the development.

Addressing the issue while speaking with the BBC, Alhaji Kwankwaso said; “I will go to Kano very soon and I will speak with some of the Assembly members, especially the Speaker, and the Governor on what is happening.

“Rabiu Kwankwaso had in the past burnt his hands over dictating what to do. We are still with the Governor working together.

“It’s just a matter of offering advice and if you are not asked to, you keep quiet so long things are going right, we just pray and hope that they succeed.”

Confronted with the comments made about the dethronement being reviewed during one of his recent interviews, the former Kano State Governor said, “When I said we will revisit the case, I didn’t say the direction to follow. I just said it will be reviewed…

“When I go there, I will hear what happened and I am sure they will tell me whatever happened and whatever they tell me, we just pray for them. I heard the Assembly members have repealed the law.

“What we were telling them was they should go and investigate whether what happened was done out of goodwill or not. What happened appears to be a vendetta or cheating.

“It’s just a matter of did Ganduje, as the the governor, do right or wrong? It’s not about going against him.”

On the Emirate’s future as it relates to political influence, the former Minister of Defence said; “Those that are looking at it from the perspective of whether it’s going to be tenure-based are somehow right but who started it?

“When I came back as Governor in 2011, everybody knew that late Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero, was not supporting us, he was supporting Shekarau. But when we got into power, we didn’t even think of dethroning him. This is why we are telling people that everybody should sit down where he belongs.”

Forefront News recalls that as governor, Alhaji Kwankwaso had crowned Sanusi as Emir in 2014, but Abdullahi Ganduje, who succeeded him dethroned the traditional ruler in 2020 following the acrimonious and turbulent relationship between the throne and the State government.

However, after the NNPP won the 2023 governorship election in the State, Kwankwaso had hinted that Sanusi’s dethronement as Emir would be reviewed.

Consequently, the Kano House of Assembly on Thursday, 23rd May 2024 repealed the Emirate Council Law paving the way for the State government to reinstate Sanusi as the Emir of Kano.