June 8, 2019
BBC News Africa
[image: The Emir of Kano (in white) and his royal guards - 2017]Image
copyrightGETTY IMAGES
In our series of letters from African journalists, the editor-in-chief of
Nigeria's Daily Trust newspaper, Mannir Dan Ali, considers why politicians
have taken aim at one of the most influential spiritual and traditional
leaders in the country's largely Muslim north.
For the Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, 2019 looks set to be his "annus
horribilis".
This is because one politician in particular, Kano's Governor Abdullahi
Ganduje, is determined to go to great lengths to clip his wings - or
possibly remove his entire royal plumage.
For more than 1,000 years, the position of Emir of Kano has been revered.
Traditional leaders hold few constitutional powers but are able to exert
significant influence as they are seen as custodians of both religion and
tradition.
[image: Presentational grey line]The emir's role
- Absolute power before British colonial rule
- Became part of colonial administration
- Few constitutional powers since independence
- Seen as custodian of religion and tradition
- Revered in the mainly Muslim north
[image: Presentational grey line]
But last month, Mr Ganduje cut the historic Kano emirate into five. It left
Muhammadu Sanusi II presiding over the smallest, though most densely
populated, portion.
It is a move that diminishes the emir's prestige.
BBC
The emir's holier-than-thou attitude has upset some politicians"
*Mannir Dan Ali*
Journalist
Lamido Sanusi, a controversial former bank chief, came to the emir's throne
in 2014 after being selected by elders and then confirmed by the
then-governor <https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-27756492>.
Like his time at the bank, where he was sacked after revealing that
billions of dollars of oil revenue had gone missing, the 57-year-old has
used his position to speak out on some matters. But his holier-than-thou
attitude has upset some politicians.
- In pictures: Nigeria's many monarchs
<https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-24492437>
The first sign that relations between the state government and the emirate
were at an all-time low came shortly after Mr Ganduje's re-election earlier
this year.
A video began circulating on social media showing a crowd in Kano
Government House forcefully removing a portrait of the emir and tearing it
to pieces.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1110252367306506245
*Abdullahi Misilli 🇳🇬* @Abdallahmisilli
<https://twitter.com/Abdallahmisilli>
FollowFollow @Abdallahmisilli
More
Some loyal supporters of Gandollar (an Illegal Governor-Elect) captured in
camera vividly removing the portrait of Emir of Kano Sanusi Lamido Sanusi
in Government House, Kano State! This is very disrespectful!
11:49 AM - 25 Mar 2019 from Abuja, Nigeria
<https://twitter.com/search?q=place%3A00e55e2b4c491c5f>
- *2* Retweets
- *5* Likes
- [image: Temppresence] <https://twitter.com/Temppresence>[image:
fernando] <https://twitter.com/fernand19444092>[image: Abdullahi
Misilli🇳🇬] <https://twitter.com/Abdallahmisilli>[image: Adah Esq.]
<https://twitter.com/thebarladie>
3 replies2 retweets5 likes
Reply
3
Retweet
2
Like
5
This happened just a few metres from the grand hall, which was specially
built in June 2014 for the emir's coronation.
Mr Ganduje narrowly won a second term in office - in fact the race was so
tight it had to be re-run in some areas in March and his rival is
challenging the result in court.
Now, the governor wants to settle scores with those he believes opposed his
re-election. The emir is top of his list.
[image: Governor Abdullahi Ganduje]Image captionGovernor Abdullahi Ganduje
moved to split up the emirate shortly after his re-election
Many suggest the emir is in this predicament because he has defied a
tradition that dictates that part of his turban covers his mouth so that
courtiers speak on his behalf.
However, unlike his predecessors, this emir has been seen and very much
heard. He has not shied away from public comments and has criticised the
government which has put him on a collision course with political office
holders.
On one occasion he criticised the Kano governor's idea of building a metro
rail with money from a Chinese loan.
Durbar cancelled
What some see as Mr Ganduje's vendetta against the emir began as early as
2017 when an investigation was opened into the finances of the emirate,
which is funded by the state.
[image: The Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II departs on horseback from the
Eid prayer ground in Kano, Nigeria - 25 June 2017]Image copyrightAFPImage
captionDuring the Durbar, the emir rides a horse around Kano - a tradition
loved by city residents
A report published last week recommended the suspension of the emir,
accusing him of undermining the investigation by instructing emirate
officials to shun questions by its researchers.
It said that up to 3.4bn naira (about $9.4m, £7.4m) was spent in what was
called fraudulent, questionable and inappropriate ways, pointing to the
cost of renovations within the palace, telephone bills, air travel and
hotel bills.
Since the drama began to unfold, the emir has been unusually silent in
public - and has not responded to these allegations of financial
mismanagement.
[image: Presentational grey line]Who is Muhammad Sanusi II?[image: The Emir
of Kano Muhammad Sanusi II]Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
- Born into the Fulani royal family, Lamido Sanusi became governor of
the Central Bank of Nigeria in 2009
- He was sacked in 2014 after revealing that $20bn (£12bn) in oil
revenue had gone missing
- TIME magazine named him in its list of influential people in 2011
- In 2013, he was awarded a special award at the Global Islamic Finance
Awards for his role in promoting Islamic banking and finance in Nigeria
- He is the 14th Emir of Kano and the grandson of the 11th Emir
*Read:*Will Lamido Sanusi ruffle feathers?
<https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27987108>
[image: Presentational grey line]
The governor may have decided to make the report public to detract from
corruption allegations that have been levelled at him after videos
circulated appearing to show him shoving fistfuls of high-denomination
dollars into the pocket of his voluminous robes.
Mr Ganduje denied collecting bribes from contractors and said the
recordings were faked. A state assembly investigation was later stopped by
a court order sought by the governor, who is also suing for defamation.
Emirs have been forced to resign in the past, but the current tension
prompted the state government to cancel last week's durbar, a three-day
horse parade held to mark the Eid al-Fitr celebration for the end of the
fasting month of Ramadan.
[image: Men blow a traditional horn part of a Durbar in Nigeria - 2006]Image
copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionTraditional horn blowers take part in
Kano's Durbars
During the durbar, which is also a big tourist attraction, the emir rides a
horse around the city, accompanied by a troupe of his cavalry wearing
colourful, traditional robes and later people queue up to pay homage to him.
It is these traditions that make the residents of Kano enormously proud -
and an attempt in the 1980s by another governor to split up the emirate
ended in clashes.
For those who see the whole episode as politically motivated, their hope is
that this latest attempt will too end in failure.
Mr Ganduje's challenger is already promising to reverse the decision if the
court rules in his favour.
Although no-one is holding their breath - the emir's hold over the rich and
colour heritage of Kano may wane if he becomes an ordinary civil servant
answerable to the whims of politicians.
--
Ann Marie
"The art of living consists of knowing what to pay attention to and what to
ignore." -- Mardy Grothe
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