A large group of protesters marched on the Aso Rock Presidential Villa and the National Assembly on Friday, expressing their discontent with the reinstatement of Muhammad Sanusi II as the 16th Emir of Kano. The protesters, led by the Northern Nigeria Peace and Development Foundation, accused Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf of taking deliberate steps to undermine the legacy of his predecessor and urged President Bola Tinubu to intervene promptly to prevent the state from descending into chaos.
The protest came on the heels of Governor Yusuf's signing of a new law reinstating Sanusi as emir, despite a federal high court order directing the state government not to enforce the law. The protesters, who comprised individuals from various walks of life, converged on the Villa and the National Assembly, carrying placards and banners expressing their displeasure with the turn of events in Kano State.
Speaking with reporters during the protest, the leader of the Northern Nigeria Peace and Development Foundation, Abdullahi Saleh, lamented that Governor Yusuf had been taking actions that threatened the peace and stability of Kano State since his assumption of office. According to Saleh, the governor's latest move - sacking five emirs to reinstate Sanusi - was the culmination of a series of "loutish acts" that had been ongoing in the state.
Saleh accused Governor Yusuf of manipulating the Kano State House of Assembly to endorse his illegal actions, turning the legislative arm into a "rubber stamp." He claimed that the governor's desperation to install Sanusi as emir had reached a point where it could spark violence and cause breaches in the land. The protesters, therefore, appealed to President Tinubu to intervene in the Kano Emirate crisis to prevent the situation from escalating further.
The crisis in Kano State began on Thursday when Governor Yusuf signed the new Kano Emirate Council Law, repealing the law that led to the creation of four additional emirates in the state by the then-governor, Abdullahi Ganduje. The move effectively reinstated Sanusi as the 16th Emir of Kano, a position he had held until his dethronement in 2020.
Despite a federal high court order directing the state government not to enforce the new law, Sanusi was turbaned as the 16th Emir of Kano on Thursday. The development has sparked widespread condemnation, with many accusing Governor Yusuf of disregarding the rule of law and undermining the judiciary.
The protesters, who gathered at the Villa and the National Assembly, called on President Tinubu to take immediate action to address the situation in Kano State. They urged the president to use his good offices to prevent the crisis from escalating further and to ensure that the rule of law was upheld in the state.
The protest lasted for several hours, with the demonstrators chanting slogans and displaying placards expressing their displeasure with the situation in Kano State. The event was peaceful, with security operatives present to ensure that the protest did not degenerate into violence.
The crisis in Kano State has sparked widespread concern, with many calling on the federal government to intervene to prevent the situation from getting out of hand. The reinstatement of Sanusi as emir has been hailed by some as a positive development, while others have condemned it as an attempt to undermine the rule of law and the judiciary.
As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how President Tinubu will respond to the crisis in Kano State. The protesters, however, have made it clear that they will continue to press for action until the rule of law is upheld and peace is restored in the state.
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