‘God will not allow it’ — Ganduje speaks on plan to review Sanusi’s dethronement

Abdullahi Ganduje, governor of Kano, says the new emirates created under his administration have come to stay.

In his speech to mark the 2023 Workers’ Day at Sani Abacha stadium, Kano, Ganduje said the emirates were created to foster unity and development in the state.

“Any of you that visits the headquarters of these new emirates will believe me that we have brought development to these places,” he said.

“These emirates were created for unity, progress, and history, and also for the recovery of the reputation of the traditional institutions. We created them to honour the people of these regions.

“I want to assure you that these emirates are permanent, they have come to stay. And anybody that will destroy them, God almighty will not bring him to Kano state. We assure you that these emirates were created because of you, because of your progress.

“Even if we are not in government, we are praying and we will keep praying for God to protect these emirates from all evils. I thank you all.”

In 2019, Ganduje signed a law that created four additional emirates in the state, leaving Lamido Sanusi, then emir of Kano, with control of 10 out of 44 local government areas.

The new emirs are Aminu Ado Bayero of Bichi, Ibrahim Abubakar II of Karaye, Tafida Abubakar of Rano, and Ibrahim Abdulkadir of Gaya.

In March 2020, the governor dethroned Sanusi as the emir of Kano “for total disrespect to lawful instructions from the office of the governor”.

However, in a viral video posted on social media on Saturday, Rabiu Kwankwaso, presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), said he was confident that Abba Yusuf, governor-elect of the state, would have the wisdom to revisit the dethronement of Sanusi and resolve “challenges” in the state.