Emir of Kano: "From Palace to Exile", Timeline of Events of How Sanusi Regained the Throne

• Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, the 14th Emir of Kano, is on his way back to the throne in the ancient city of Kano following his reinstatement by Governor Abba Yusuf
• Sanusi, who fell out with ex-Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano, was dethroned in 2020
• This article details the timeline of events that led to his dethronement, exile, court battles and now his reinstatement in 2024

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

On March 10, 2020, the former governor of Kano state, Abdullahi Ganduje, deposed Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II as Emir of Kano.

This happened after several attempts to reconcile the duo failed.

Sanusi II and Ganduje's fallout

As reported by Daily Trust, in an interview with Voice of America (VOA) Hausa, Abdulsalami Abubakar, a former military head of state, had said the efforts to reconcile Ganduje and Sanusi were wasted.

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How Sanusi was reinstated as Emir of Kano, Kwankwaso speaks

In 2019, Abubakar was appointed as chairman of the reconciliation committee set up to intervene in the crisis.

He said: “Well, I can say so in view of the latest development. In my view, all the committee’s efforts are wasted.”

Abubakar added that after the committee submitted its report to the then-president, Muhammadu Buhari, he “expressed willingness” to intervene.

He noted that he could not say categorically if Buhari intervened, but that if the president did, “I’ll be surprised that we got to this point”.

This piece chronicles the events that led to the dethronement of the first-class king and how he found his way back to the throne in 2024.

1. On February 2, 2014, President Goodluck Jonathan fired Sanusi for alleging a controversial non-remittance of a $20 billion statutory fund into the federal government’s accounts by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), a claim the then administration refuted, Channels TV reported.
2. Also on June 8, 2014: Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso appointed Sanusi to succeed his grand-uncle, Ado Bayero, as the Emir of Kano.
3. On June 9, 2014: Sanusi is crowned the 14th Emir of Kano.
4. Interestingly, on May 29, 2015: Kwankwaso’s deputy, Abdullahi Ganduje is sworn in as Kano governor after the general elections in the state. Ganduje, of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), is re-elected in 2019.
5. December 2016: Sanusi speaks about the government’s misplaced priorities.
6. April 24, 2017: Sanusi speaks at the Mo Ibrahim governance weekend in Morocco about the northern governors’ poor attitude towards education. His comments are perceived as a direct attack on Ganduje.
7. May 2017: The Kano Emirate Council comes under investigation for financial irregularities.
8. June 6, 2019: The Ganduje administration queries Sanusi for allegedly misappropriating N3.4 billion, an allegation the former bank chief denied.
9. December 2019: Ganduje assents to a bill passed by the Kano House of Assembly splitting the Kano Emirate Council into five emirates, whittling down the influence of Sanusi.
10. March 9, 2020: The Ganduje administration dethrones Sanusi for ‘disrespecting lawful instructions’. Sanusi is banished to Loko Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
11. March 9, 2020: Aminu Ado Bayero is appointed Emir of Kano.
12. February 2023: Kwankwaso’s political godson Abba Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) wins the governorship election in Kano, defeating Ganduje’s man, Nasir Gawuna.
13. April 2023: Kwankwaso says Yusuf will review Sanusi’s dethronement.
14. January 19, 2024- Former Governor of Kano state and the leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement, Sen. Rabi’u Kwankwaso, said that the issue of Kano emirates would be revisited by the NNPP government.
15. February 5, 2024 - A group, “Yan Dangwalen Jihar Kano” (the Kano Electorate),wrote to the Kano State Assembly to seek a review of the law establishing four additional emirates and the reinstatement of Sanusi.
16. February 16, 2024 - The opposition party APC, advised the NNPP Governor Abba Yusuf to be careful so as not to allow himself to be pushed into doing something which, could affect the existing peaceful coexistence in the state.
17. May 21, 2024 - The Kano State House of Assembly adopted a motion to recall the Kano State Emirate Councils Amendment Bill.
18. May 23, 2024 - The Kano state house of assembly passed Kano emirates council law (repeal bill) 2024 after scaling 3rd reading. The bill in its entity abrogated the establishment of 5 new Emirates in the state and reverted to the former status of a single emir in Kano.
19. May 23, 2024 - Kano Kingmakers arrived at the Kano state government house, for the appointment of the next first-class monarch.
20. May 23, 2024 - Governor Yusuf signed the law at exactly 5:10pm, alongside his deputy, the Speaker of the State Assembly and other principal officers of his government.
21. May 23, 2024 - Governor Yusuf announced the appointment of Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi 11 as the new Emir of Kano.
22. May 23, 2024 - The Kanos state government ordered the deposed emirs to vacate their palace and hand over Emirate Council properties to the commissioner of local government, who also serves as state deputy governor and vacate their palace within two days.
23. May 24, 2024: The convoy of the deposed emir of Kano, Aminu Bayero, was withdrawn by the Kano state government, headed by Governor Yusuf. The government stopped the emir’s move and asked security operatives to prevent him from returning to Kano as well as his palace.

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Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Muhammadu Sanusi II explained how President Bola Tinubu's government did not contribute to the current economic crisis in Nigeria.

At a public function in Rivers state, Port-Harcourt on Thursday, May 23, Sanusi II also maintained that Nigeria's economic recovery will take time.

The former CBN governor however cautioned that the economic mismanagement of the last 10 years cannot be undone in just six months or one year.

Source: Legit.ng