Kano governor’s mother prays for reinstatement of former emir Sanusi

Naja’atu Yusuf, the mother to the Governor of Kano State, Abba Yusuf, has publicly offered prayers for the reinstatement of the former Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido, who was dethroned by former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje’s administration.

Mrs Yusuf prayed that the former emir be reinstated to the throne of his fore-bearers, ‘Gidan Dabo’, to continue the work he started before he was sacked.

Her statement was captured in a video posted on Facebook on Friday, made while she hosted the former emir’s mother at her residence on a congratulatory visit following the Supreme Court’s judgement which on Friday affirmed the election of Governor Yusuf.

The video of the visit, which immediately went viral, was posted on a Facebook page run by a New Nigeria People Party group, ‘NNPP Kwankwasiyya supporters’, with the caption “Glad tidings from the governor’s mother to the mother of the former emir.”

The clip, which had over 12 thousand likes and a thousand shares as of the time this reporter viewed it, showed the governor’s mother in a prolonged handshake with the former emir’s mother as they sat side by side and prayed for both the governor and the former emir.

“May his days be long! May Allah return him to his home ‘Gidan Dabo’ (the descendants of former Emir, Ibrahim Dabo, who reigned between 1819 to 1846). By God’s grace, he will return to the house (Emir’s Palace) and continue the good work he started. Also Abba (the governor), may Allah guide him to continue doing the good work he started.

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“They (the former emir and the governor) will join hands together and work for Nigeria and our state. They are the soldiers of truth and God-fearing people, Allah loves them, and we are proud of them, Alhamdulillah!,” the governor’s mother said in the 56-second video.

The judgement of the Supreme Court – Nigeria’s highest court – laid to rest disputes on the keenly fought 18 March 2023 governorship election. However, the judgement has also renewed the social media campaign, mostly by NNPP members, for the reinstatement of Mr Sanusi as Emir

The campaign

In August, the police in Kano arrested six people who allegedly booed the sitting Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado-Bayero, at the commissioning of Hasiya Bayero Paediatric Hospital at Kofar Kudu, opposite the emir’s palace.

The governor, Mr Yusuf, who was at the ceremony, asked the police to go after the protesters.

The police commissioner, Muhammad Gumel, later said the suspects disturbed the peaceful gathering by chanting derogatory remarks against the emir and calling on the governor to replace him with his predecessor, Mr Sanusi.

He said the suspects were chanting slogans such as “New governor, new emir.”

“Those people were not invited to the event. They were intruders who came on their own, and they must have been sponsored by somebody or a group of persons,” the police chief had said.

“Six persons have been identified. We used technology to track them down. We are still analysing the video footage, and we are making efforts to arrest all those involved.

“We are also making efforts to get the sponsors. Traditional institution is a respectable institution, and anybody who messes around with the traditional institution is an enemy of the police,” the commissioner said in a statement in August.

Mr Sanusi was controversially dethroned in 2020.

Similar incident

On 29 May, when Mr Yusuf was inaugurated as governor, some NNPP supporters wearing red caps and turbans booed the emir and his younger brother, Nasiru Bayero, who is the Emir of Bichi, throwing water sachets and plastic bottles in their direction.

A former governor of the state, Rabiu Kwankwaso, who is Governor Yusuf’s political godfather, shepherded the emirs out of the venue to save them from physical attacks.