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Sanusi’s Battle with Goodluck Jonathan-DSS
Sanusi II was Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from 2009 to 2014, when he was suspended by former President Goodluck Jonathan in February 2014.
His suspension came just two months after a leaked letter to President Goodluck Jonathan, which revealed that the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) failed to remit US$48.9 billion of government oil revenue to the apex bank.
After a series of public investigations and the alarm on the US$20 billion NNPC scandal, Sanusi was sacked and replaced with Sarah Alade who oversaw the affairs of the CBN before the appointment of Godwin Emefiele in substantive position.
In April 2014, he won a court case against the Federal Government, after he was detained and his international passport confiscated by the Department of State Services (DSS).
Sanusi II’s Appointment
Sanusi II was appointed as the 14th Emir of Kano by the administration of Rabiu Kwankwaso.
In his account or Sanusi’s enthronement, Former Kano Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje who was Kwankwaso’s deputy in 2014 claims the former emir was crowned to spite Mr Jonathan.
“Mr Sanusi was not the best man for the throne at the time he was appointed in June 2014 but was given the throne to spite former President Jonathan.
“He was appointed in order to prove that what Jonathan did to him was wrong and that the people of Kano wanted their son as Emir and therefore they decided to appoint him as Emir.
“But when he was appointed, there were a lot of demonstrations with people burning tyres here and there. But because of government backing, he was sustained on the stool.”
Ganduje subsequently fell out with Sanusi over his outspoken nature.
Justifying his removal, Ganduje said Sanusi was removed “to safeguard the sanctity, culture, tradition, religion and prestige of the Kano emirate,” accusing the emir of “total disrespect” of institutions and the governor’s office.
The other story is that Ganduje, who served as Deputy Governor to Kwankwaso in his two tenures, fell out with his former boss. Sanusi a strong ally of Kwankwaso took sides with him which triggered Ganduje.
Sanusi was ousted in 2020 after Ganduje secured a second term and convinced the State Assembly to split the Kano emirate into five and appointed four more emirs – to weaken Sanusi’s influence.
Law, Tradition, Restructuring
Five years after his controversial removal as emir, the Kano State House of Assembly has now resolved to amend the law after Majority Leader Hussien Dala moved the motion during plenary.
According to Dala, the need to revisit the Emirs Law became imperative to address the issues that have arisen from the 2019 amendment, insisting that the lawmakers must ensure that traditional institutions are governed by laws that reflect fairness and justice.
On his part, the Speaker of the Kano House of Assembly, Jibril Isma’il Falgore, promised to ensure that the process of amendment follows due process and transparency.
The Kano State House of Assembly on Tuesday, May 21 resolved to amend the 2019 law through which Sanusi was deposed.
The law that booted Sanusi from office is known as the Kano State Emirs (Appointment and Deposition) Law. It was promulgated in 2019 by the Ganduje administration after having a running battle with the deposed emir.
Now, the parliament is controlled by the opposition New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
Earlier, former governor Rabiu Kwankwaso who controls Kano, a state known for its huge voting population, said the issue of Sanusi’s sack would be revisited.
Kano’s Assembly Searchlight on Sanusi’s Sack
The Kano State House of Assembly has officially passed the bill dissolving all five emirate councils in the state, following deliberations on the floor of the house during a plenary session held on Thursday.
The significant move came as the Kano State Emirate Council Amendment Bill was considered and passed after successfully scaling its second and third readings.
The Deputy Speaker, Muhammad Bello Butu Butu, said repealing the law that divided the Kano Emirate into five separate entities would help “revive the lost glory of Kano, while the Majority Leader, Lawan Hussaini Dala, argued that the emirate council served as a custodian of culture, which was distorted by the creation of additional emirates.
In a briefing with journalists, Dala explained that with the amendment of the law, all five emirate councils were now abolished, noting that the commissioner for local governments will serve as the overseer.
Additionally, the House adopted a motion to create a new second-class emirate council in the state, signalling a restructuring of the traditional institutions to better align with the state’s cultural and administrative goals
Possibilities
Now that the State Assembly has dissolved the five councils, if signed into law, the move is expected to see the return of the 14th emir of Kano, Sanusi II who was deposed on 9th March, 2020.
This is however unclear as Sanusi had in 2020 clearly stated that he had no intention to go back to the throne.
In a clip, Sanusi said – “I have done what I could in six years, I’m moving on. I don’t want to go back. The truth is, if I had wanted to go back, the dethronement letter was so badly written, it was not done professionally. The easiest thing is just to go to court,” he said.
“It’s simple, fair hearing, ‘did you query him? Did you ask him to defend himself? Did you even call him to ask him any question?’ That’s all but I think we should go on to a new phase in life.”
However, lawmakers are at the Government House in Kano meeting with Governor Abba Yusuf to decide if Bayero would be kicked out and Sanusi returned.
Already, Sanusi’s pictures gazes downward from the upper wall of the Coronation Hall in Kano while that of Ado- Bayero has been shoved aside.