Contests for the 2023 guber poll in Kano was more than just a battle for the governorship seat. With the coast now clear for Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), the stage is now set for phase two – politics of the emirates, MURTALA ADEWALE reports.

It was a revival of a near-dead horse at the Supreme Court on January 12, 2024, when the five-member panel of Justices led by Justice John Okoro, dismissed the concurrent judgments of the Kano election petition tribunal and Court of Appeal that earlier sacked Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf as winner of the March 18, 2023 governorship poll in the state.

Verdict of the apex court came as a rude shock to the loyalists of All Progressives Congress (APC), who had before the final judgment, rolled out drums to celebrate the much-anticipated victory. Thousands of various ‘aso-ebi’ customised fabrics were shared to welcome Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna to power. But their hopes were dashed.

They watched in anguish the glamour of the triumphant entry of Governor Yusuf as he returned to the state from Abuja after the widely celebrated victory at the Supreme Court, amid a mammoth crowd of Kwankwasiyya supporters and Kano residents.

Now that the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has won the battle, political watchers said the time has come for Governor Yusuf to hit the ground running to fulfill his campaign promises – and win the war.

Beyond the euphoria of the Supreme Court victory, analysts observed that governance has suffered in the last six months because the governor spent most of his time in Abuja, struggling to revert both the tribunal and appeal court verdicts against him. They reasoned that Kano people are yearning for good governance and transformation of the growth potential of the state into tangible deliverables.

Indeed, the governor is confronted with two options as he settle down for governance, either to continue with his campaign promises, which include the controversial demolition of “illegally acquired public property” and the reinstatement of the deposed 14th Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II or to review it.

It will not be a surprise if the governor receives fresh backlash from the public, if he attempts to resume the demolition of property he has embarked upon, but suspended because of his election matter before the court and wide condemnation that greeted his action. Nevertheless, pending legal matters on the demolition may also impede any action on the so-called illegal properties.

Already, Governor Yusuf has committed to settle the owners of the Eid ground shop and agreed to pay N3 billion for out of court settlement. Before the government finally surrendered to pressure, the plaintiff had secured N30 billion fines and garnishee order against the government.

However, the resurgence of calls to restore the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Muhammad Sanusi as Emir of Kano is dominating discussions immediately after the governor returned from Abuja following the Supreme Court verdict.

Those fronting the return of the 14th Emir reminded Yusuf that the return of Sanusi to the palace was part of his campaign promises and are waiting for him to correct the perceived “bad precedence” introduced by former Governor, Abdulahi Ganduje, into the traditional council.

Recall that the leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement and NNPP presidential candidate in the last general election, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, condemned the split of Kano emirate into five separate entities of Gaya, Karaye, Rano and Bichi councils orchestrated by Ganduje’s administration and his promise to revisit it.

In March 2020, Ganduje deposed Sanusi from the palace for allegedly disobeying lawful instructions from the office of the governor and lawful authorities. He was subsequently dethroned and banished to Loko, a remote village in Nasarawa State.

According to Ganduje, Sanusi was removed to safeguard the sanctity, culture, tradition, and prestige of the Kano Emirate built over a thousand years, adding that his persistent refusal to attend official meetings and programmes organised by the government without any lawful justification amounted to insubordination.

Before Sanusi’s dethronement, Ganduje balkanised the Kano emirate to five independent entities of Kano, Rano, Bichi, Karaye and Gaya emirates, all adored with first-class chiefs.

It was believed that Ganduje acted to weaken the power of Sanusi, who held full control and overwhelming power of the entire Kano emirate.
The humiliation heaped on Sanusi was considered a soft retaliation for the constant criticism of the state government policies, especially the move by Ganduje to obtain a $1.8 million loan to fund a light rail project in the state.

Sanusi, who kicked against the loan and the project insisted that Ganduje would have succeeded in plunging generations yet unborn in unnecessary debt, claiming that Ganduje’s light train initiative would not impact positively on the socioeconomic wellbeing of Kano residents.
Besides, Ganduje also accused the 14th Emir of conniving with the Kwankwasiyya Movement to unseat him during the 2019 general elections.

Although Kwankwaso vowed that the NNPP government will revisit the sack of the former CBN boss, Governor Yusuf buttressed the position of his political godfather when he publicly said his administration is an extension of Kwankwaso’s government.

Whether Governor Yusuf will reverse Sanusi’s dethrone or not, there are indications that all is not well between the five first-class emirs and the NNPP government.

For instance, the emirs have been accused of ignoring public functions at the Government House for reasons best known to them and this has further given impetus to those insinuating that the monarchs are under instructions to disassociate themselves from the government of NNPP. They also alleged the emirs of deliberately travelling out of Kano to avoid official assignments.

However, a political activist in Kano, Bala Salihu Dawakin-Kudu, has faulted the purported plan by the government to dissolve the five emirates, adding that such a plan would drag Kano backward.

Dawakin-Kudu, who doubles as Director General, Progressive Amalgamation of Northern Nigeria for Tinubu Shettima (PANNTS), said any attempt to dissolve the existing structure of Kano emirate would lead to disorder.

He stressed the need for dialogue and consensus-building in addressing any concerns and issues surrounding the emirates, rather than resorting to dissolution.

He said: “The new emirates have brought about the decentralisation of the emirate and spread development and improved governance. It has fostered development, promoted cultural heritage, and enhanced local governance within the state.

“The creation of these emirates have allowed for greater representation and involvement of local communities in decision-making processes, leading to improved governance and development at the grassroots level.”
Contrary to Dawakin-Kudu appeal, a public affairs analyst and researcher, Ado Ibrahim, insisted there is nothing wrong in the reinstatement of Sanusi, if that is what the people of Kano want.

Ibrahim said people voted for Yusuf based on his campaign promises, adding that, “if the calls for the reinstatement of Sanusi are part of the campaign promises then the government should fulfill the promises.”

He said, “What many failed to realise is that those who created the five emirates claimed it was the wish of the people. Now, it is still the wish of the people that want the new government to dismantle the five emirates.

“That is democracy and people don’t seem to understand the principles of democracy, which is interest based and that interest is not permanent. When people’s interests change, their decisions change, and that is the reason we change government.

“We have argued for long that the state has and should not have business with the customs and traditions of the people but they think they are clever by changing the tradition through positive law to create tradition. But they have forgotten it is the same assembly that will change the law.”

Ibrahim further said: “After all, the five emirs allegedly did all they could to sabotage the new government to make sure he did not return to power. There is nothing they did not do. So, why should the governor keep them? After all, they did not exist before now. It is someone who was a governor that created them and it is time for them to be dismantled.”

But Professor Kamilu Sani Fagge of the Department of Political Science, Bayero University, Kano (BUK), stressed that what is left for Governor Yusuf is to face governance, having survived the legal battle.

In his counsel to the governor, he said “We are now at the stage of policymaking and implementation and not politics. There are a lot of issues facing Kano that the government has to tackle.

“He needs to embrace everyone in the state. If you take simple mathematics you will realise that Governor Yusuf’s total votes are not more than two million and we have more than 20 million people in Kano. So, if he has to focus on those who voted for him alone, he will just be a governor for two million people. He needs to embrace everyone knowing that everyone is a citizen of Kano.
“He has to extend hands of fellowship to his opposition, so that he can build a peaceful Kano. There is no need for political bickering that will not develop Kano. He should rather work in the interest of the people and not unpopular decisions being promoted by the few. It is time he should justify the confidence reposed in him”. Professor Fagge appealed.