Former Central Bank of Nigeria governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi II has been reinstated as the Emir of Kano.
According to reports, this decision followed the Kano State House of Assembly’s resolution to dethrone the current Emir and also dismantle the four new Emirates in the State established under a controversial 2019 law.
Though it has not been officially announced, Sanusi II has been reinstated, and is expected in Kano on Friday.
According to credible inside sources, “So certainly with the passage of the Bill, Sanusi automatically stands reinstated. No need for confirmation, the thing to is waiting for the Governor to assent to it.”
The then restructuring of the Kano Emirate is seen as a political manoeuvre to diminish the influence of the Emir Sanusi II, a vocal critic of the former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje administration.
The creation of the new emirates fragmented the authority of the old Kano Emirate Council, diluting its power and influence.
The New Kano Emirate Councils Law has not only reinstated the five demoted kingmakers to their former positions, it has also empowered them to reconvene in Kano and reinstall former Central Bank of Nigeria governor, Muhammadu Sanusi, as the sole Emir of Kano.
The law stated that “the Governor shall take all necessary measures to restore the status of the Kano Emirate System to its positions prior to the enactment of the repealed Principal Law dated 5th December, 2019”, thereby giving powers to the State Government to reappoint Sanusi as the Emir of Kano
The law added that “the traditional office holders and title holders elevated or appointed to office created under the repealed Principal Law, dated 5th December, 2019, shall revert to their position where such positions previously existed under recognized custom and traditions prior to the enactment of the repealed Principal Law dated 5th December, 2019”.
This provision reappoints the demoted five kingmakers and empowers them to choose the new Emir who will now be endorsed by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.
It added that the commissioner responsible for Local Government shall oversee all transitional arrangements including how best to deal with assets and liabilities of the abolished emirates and new structure created under the repealed Principal Law dated 5th December, 2019.
