TheTalk.NG journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering governance and public journalism.

Kano, Kano state – The appointed Emir, Muhammadu Sanusi II and the deposed Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, both lay claim to the throne.

Since May, Emir Sanusi II has assumed duty at the main palace while the deposed Emir Ado Bayero leads from the royal house in Nasarawa, another part of Kano city.

Justice Abdullahi Liman of the federal high court Kano had ruled that the appointment of Sanusi as emir of Kano was null and void.
Photo credits: @bayeros, @masarautarkanoSource: Twitter

Although a federal high court in Kano nullified all actions by the Kano state government repealing the Kano Emirates Council Law of 2019, the Abba Yusuf administration said Sanusi remains the Emir.

In this report, TheTalk.NG looks at the reasons why Bayero may find it difficult to reclaim the royal seat from Sanusi.

1) State govts empowered to appoint, remove traditional rulers

By law, the appointment of traditional rulers is the duty of the state government, which, in this case, is in support of Sanusi.

TheTalk.NG reports that issues surrounding the appointment and removal of traditional rulers are outside the jurisdiction of the federal high court. The institution of traditional rulership is in the exclusive purview of the state government.

The control of state governments over their traditional institutions is also to provide checks and balances so that erring traditional rulers can be called to order.

Influence of govs over traditional institutions

Over the past couple of decades, traditional rulers in Nigeria have seen their influence and powers watered down from the height they occupied in the pre-independence era and immediately after independence. The military incursion in 1966 dealt the first blow to the influence of the traditional rulers.

The 1976 local government reforms further stripped traditional rulers of their constitutional role, and the framers of the 1999 constitution did not include the institution in the document.

In the last couple of years, there has been a strong clamour from traditional rulers for their inclusion in the constitution.

In 2019, the monarchs made a strong push for their inclusion in the constitution. During the last alteration, the traditional rulers, through the coordinating committee of the council, submitted a memorandum to the national assembly.

In the memorandum, the traditional rulers, among other things, proposed that “the constitution should recognise the chairmen of the states’ councils of chiefs as members of the council of state as it has been in all the Nigerian constitutions.”

However, the lawmakers did not incorporate the recommendations during the last modification.

In the absence of constitutional roles, traditional rulers are governed by chieftaincy laws in different states. Often, governors use these laws to influence the selection of traditional rulers or even arbitrarily remove them.

2. Tinubu may not agree to help Ganduje

It is a well-known fact that Rabiu Musa Kwankwakso has a personal grudge against the Kano Emirate Council Law 2019.

Kwankwaso and Abdullahi Ganduje, the current national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), two former Kano governors, were allies before they fell out a few years ago over political differences in the state.

Though Bayero has Ganduje on his side, President Bola Tinubu may not agree to help Ganduje (his top ally) and intervene to support Bayero. This, to avoid political consequences.

More to read on Kano emirate crisis

NSA denies backing deposed Kano Emir

Earlier, TheTalk.NG reported that Nuhu Ribadu, the national security adviser (NSA), denied facilitating the return of dethroned Bayero to Kano state.

Zakari Mijinyawa, spokesperson for the NSA office, asked political actors to desist from misinforming the public.

Source: TheTalk.NG