Ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar cautions that the ongoing dispute over the Kano Emirate throne may degenerate into widespread unrest, and the Bola Tinubu-led government must be held responsible for any resulting instability.
Abuja was the setting for a late Saturday statement from Paul Ibe, media adviser to Atiku Abubakar, the distinguished Turakin Adamawa, in which the former Vice President offered his perspective on the crisis, his words carrying the gravitas of his respected traditional title.
He said, “The action of the Federal Government in deploying soldiers in Kano in the tussle over the throne of the ancient city is an upset to the peace and security of the state, and also in breach of the 1999 Constitution as Amended.
“In performing their constitutional duties of law making, the Kano State House of Assembly (KSHA) passed the amended Kano State Emirate Council (Repeal) Bill 2024 in consonance with the provision of Section 4 of the Constitution 1999 as Amended whereas the Governor of Kano State, Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf, subsequently signed into law the said bill.
“The law, therefore, repealed the 2019 version, which balkanized the ancient Kano Emirate into five.
“The foregoing circumstances happened within the confines of the law and in compliance with the powers conferred on the Governor as provided by Section 5(2) of the 1999 Constitution as amended; and also in consultation with the Kingmakers of Kano, reappointed Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (also known as Muhammadu Sanusi II) as the 16th Emir of Kano State and accordingly handed him a letter of appointment.
Read also: I Will Contest For Presidency In 2027, Atiku Declares
“It is surprising that in the early hours of today, exactly at about 5:30 am the former Emir of Kano, His Majesty Aminu Ado Bayero backed by Federal might made their way into the Nasarawa Palace of the Kano Emirate while the reappointed Emir, Muhammadu Sanusi II was at the Gidan Dabo, which is the main residence of the Emir of Kano.
“In this wise, the former Emir could not have made his way into the Nasarawa Palace without the support of the Federal Government having done so with the support of the Army and other security personnel in his company. The deployment of soldiers in extra constitutional matters, such as this, undermines the integrity of the Nigerian military.
“We need to remind the Tinubu administration that Kano State is known for peace and harmony spanning thousands of years, and any attempt to destablise the peace of the Land of Commerce shall be resisted.
“Recall that when Muhammadu Sanusi II was dethroned on 9th March 2020, Kano forged on in peace without any fracas.
It was asserted that should chaos erupt in Kano State, specifically in the Kano Municipal area, the Federal Government would bear the blame, as facilitating the former Emir Aminu Ado Bayero’s return to Kano with security provisions would be tantamount to inciting pandemonium.