There are possibilities that the dethroned Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi II is set to be reinstated as the Emir of Kano, four years after his removal from the throne.
The Kano State House of Assembly has recently passed a resolution to dethrone the current Emir and dismantle the four new emirates established under a controversial law enacted in 2019. This decision is seen as paving the way for Sanusi’s return to his former position.
According to sources quoted by Leadership Newspaper, Sanusi II is expected to return to Kano on Friday. The source explained, “Certainly with the passage of the bill, Sanusi automatically stands reinstated. No need for confirmation, the thing to do is wait for the governor to assent to it.”
The restructuring of the Kano Emirate is widely viewed as a political maneuver. The creation of the new emirates in 2019 was perceived as an effort to reduce the influence of Emir Sanusi II, who had been a vocal critic of then-Governor Abdullahi Ganduje’s administration. By fragmenting the authority of the old Kano Emirate Council, the new emirates diluted the traditional power structure.
Lawan Hussaini Chediyar Yan Gurasa, the Majority Leader of the Kano State House of Assembly and sponsor of the amendment bill, revealed to journalists after Thursday’s session that, “The bill has been sent to the governor for assent. Now, there is no longer an active Emir in Kano in any of the five emirates: Kano, Bichi, Gaya, Rano, and Karaye. The law now provides for the governor to call on the traditional kingmakers to choose a new king.”