Confusion in Kano over appointment of 4 new Emirs

BY OUR EDITOR

The ancient city of Kano and indeed Kano State, north west Nigeria, are currently enveloped in confusion following the decision of the state government to decentralise the Kano Emirate, thereby whittling down the powers and influence of the present Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi.

While the state government has scheduled a ceremony Saturday, May 11, 2019 to inaugurate four new Emirs that will rule over four other emirates derived from the present Kano emirate, there is a report that a high court in Kano has restrained the state Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje from going ahead with the ceremony.

Ganduje and the Kano State House of Assembly, the Speaker, Clerk of the Assembly, and the Attorney-General of the state, according to report filtering in from Kano, have been ordered by Justice Nasiru Saminu to desist from implementing the breakup of Kano emirate, following the signing into law of the Kano Emirs Appointment and Deposition Amendment Bill 2019, by the Governor, yesterday.

Justice Saminu ordered the Kano State government to suspend any move to demarcate the Kano emirate pending the determination of the case filed before him by by Rabi’u Saleh Gwarzo and Babangida Sulaiman, minority leader and minority chief whip of the state assembly, respectively.

Meanwhile, Gov. Ganduje has appointed four new emirs in the state. The new emirs are Aminu Ado Bayero (Bichi), Ibrahim Abdulkadir (Gaya), Tafida Abubakar (Rano), and Ibrahim Abubakar (Karaye). Ado Bayero is one of the sons of the predecessor of Muhammadu Sanusi, the incumbent emir of Kano.

However, three of the appointees were reported to have rejected the appointment.

The Kano State Commissioner of Information, Malam Muhammad Garba, said the new emirs would receive their letters of appointment on Saturday at Sani Abacha Indoor Stadium.

Bayero, the new emir of Bichi, was the Wamban Kano, a position given to him by the present emir of Kano, Muhammed Sanusi II.

Bayero then succeeded Alhaji Abbas Sanusi, who was promoted to the rank of Galadima following the death of late Galadiman Kano Tijjani Hashim.

In the meantime, four prominent Islamic scholars working with Kano State Government have tendered their letters of resignation to Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje.

It was not clear whether they took the steps to protest the creation of new emirates in Kano.

The clerics are Commander-General of the state Hisbah, Sheikh Aminu Daurawa and the chairman of the State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Abba Koki.

Others are the Permanent Commissioner with the state Shariah Commission, Abubakar Kandahar, and that of Zakkah and Hubsi Commission, Nazifi Inuwa.

The resignation letters dated Thursday, May 9, were made available to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano on Friday.

According to the former officials, their resignation letters were received by the office of the Secretary to the State Government as required by law. (Additional reports Vanguard/NAN)