Gov Yusuf Debunks Alleged Plan to Dethrone Emir Sanusi, Says Defection Will Not Change Status Quo

Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano

Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has ruled out any plan to remove the 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, insisting that his recent political alignment with the centre would not alter the status of the Kano Emirate or affect the monarch’s position on the throne.

The governor said he did not reach any agreement with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to dethrone Sanusi.

The governor, who spoke through his spokesperson, Sanusi Dawakin Bature, dispelled the rumour of the planned removal of the emir, explaining that there was no truth to the speculation.

“There is no plan to replace Emir Sanusi on the throne of Kano. The appointment of the emir was made after the emirate law was repealed, and there is no intention at the executive level to amend it.

“Emir Sanusi has been duly appointed in accordance with the law, and the governor’s defection to the APC will not change the status quo. Emir Sanusi remains the Emir of Kano.

“The emirate issue is not a political decision. The personal interests of some individuals drive it,” he said.

On whether the government was engaging with the Emir Bayero camp or those opposed to Emir Sanusi’s reinstatement, Bature said no such outreach had begun.

“Not yet,” he said, adding that the government was appealing to Bayero and his supporters to prioritise peace.

“We want to appeal to him and his co-sponsors to please, in the interest of peace, stability, and economic prosperity of Kano State, distance themselves from the ongoing claim of awaiting reinstatement.”

The governor’s assurance came amid renewed speculation that his new political realignment could lead to a reversal of Sanusi’s reinstatement.

Kano has been locked in an unprecedented royal deadlock, with two emirs laying claim to the same exalted stool.

Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II continues to operate from the historic Gidan Rumfa palace, while Emir Aminu Ado Bayero remains at the Nassarawa mini-palace, each backed by rival political interests.

Sanusi, who was deposed in March 2020 by then-Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and replaced with Bayero, was reinstated in May 2024 by Governor Yusuf.

The reinstatement followed the passage of the Kano State Emirates Councils (Repeal) Law 2024 by the state House of Assembly, which abolished the five emirates created under the 2019 law widely seen as instrumental to Sanusi’s initial removal.

By repealing that law, the Yusuf administration restored Kano to a single-emir structure, removing Bayero and the other first-class emirs appointed under the previous arrangement.

Despite this, Bayero continued to lay claim to the throne, reportedly enjoying security backing and tacit recognition from some federal authorities, further deepening the crisis.

Fresh speculations emerged earlier this week after Governor Yusuf defected to the APC, aligning with former governor Ganduje, a key supporter of Bayero.

The defection also marked a major rupture between Yusuf and his former political benefactor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, under whose influence Sanusi was believed to have secured his reinstatement.

This political realignment fuelled speculation that the emirate dispute could be revisited as part of broader reconciliation efforts within the APC.

The questions gained further traction on Thursday after the Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, hinted that the prolonged crisis might be nearing resolution.

Speaking on a radio programme in Kano, Waiya said the state government had implemented “concrete measures” to restore lasting peace and stability, adding that the “two emirs” stalemate was approaching its conclusion.

Social media platforms were soon awash with speculation, with many framing the development as a possible “second removal” of Sanusi, allegedly linked to the growing rift between Governor Yusuf and Kwankwaso.

But responding to the speculation, the governor on Friday categorically ruled out any plan to alter Sanusi’s status as Emir of Kano.