Sanusi reinstated as Emir of Kano — four years after dethronement

Abba Yusuf, governor of Kano, has announced the reinstatement of Muhammadu Sanusi as the Emir of Kano.

Yusuf announced the reinstatement of Sanusi shortly after he signed the bill abolishing the five emirates created in 2019, on Thursday.

In March 2020, Abdullahi Ganduje, former governor of Kano, deposed Sanusi as Emir of Kano “for total disrespect to lawful instructions from the office of the governor”.

On Thursday, the state legislators passed the amended Kano State Emirate Council (Repeal) Bill 2024.

The legislation was sponsored by Lawan Hussaini Dala, the majority leader of the Kano assembly, who argued that the emirate law of 2019 was not conceived in good faith.

The newly passed bill abolishes the five emirates and “all the appointments or offices arising therefrom”.

The bill also stipulates that the governor should restore the previous Kano emirate system.

With the new law, one Emir will oversee the control of the Kano emirate system.

BACKGROUND

In May 2019, the house of assembly approved the amendment of the Kano State Emirate Council Law, which paved the way for the balkanisation of the emirate.

The legislation was purportedly conceived to whittle the powers of Muhammadu Sanusi, then Emir of Kano.

Subsequently, Abdullahi Ganduje, the governor of Kano at the time, signed the bill into law.

With the law, Kano was divided into five emirates — Kano, Rano, Gaya, Karaye and Bichi — with Emirs appointed into each emirate.