The Kano Emirate witnessed a dramatic shift in power in May 2024, akin to a real-life Game of Thrones. This piece offers a concise timeline of the events leading up to Muhammadu Sanusi II’s reinstatement as the Emir of Kano. Buckle up for a story of political maneuvering, disagreements, and a surprising reversal.
The timeline begins in June 2014, when Sanusi, a former Central Bank Governor, ascended the throne following the demise of his granduncle.
His reign was not without friction. In December 2016, tensions emerged between Sanusi and Governor Ganduje over the government’s spending priorities.
Sanusi’s criticisms culminated in his dethronement in March 2020. However, the story takes an unexpected turn in May 2024.
The Kano State Assembly dissolves the Emirates created by Ganduje, paving the way for Sanusi’s return as Emir under a unified Kano Emirate.
This dramatic turn of events solidified Sanusi’s position and marked a significant chapter in Kano’s political history.
Here is a timeline of the good, the bad and the ugly put together by The Explainer:
June 1, 2009: Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, then Chief Executive Officer of First Bank, is nominated as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria by President Umaru Yar’Adua. His appointment is confirmed by the Senate some 48 hours later.
February 2, 2014: President Goodluck Jonathan fires Sanusi for alleging a controversial non-remittance of a $20 billion statutory fund into the federal government’s accounts by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), a claim the then administration refuted.
June 8, 2014: Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso appoints Sanusi to succeed his granduncle, Ado Bayero, as the Emir of Kano.
June 9, 2014: Sanusi is crowned the 14th Emir of Kano.
May 29, 2015: Kwankwaso’s deputy, Abdullahi Ganduje is sworn in as Kano governor after the general elections in the state. Ganduje, of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), is re-elected in 2019.
December 2016: Sanusi speaks about the government’s misplaced priorities.
April 24, 2017: Sanusi speaks at the Mo Ibrahim governance weekend in Morocco about the northern governors’ poor attitude towards education. His comments are perceived as a direct attack on Ganduje.
May 2017: The Kano Emirate Council comes under investigation for financial irregularities.
June 6, 2019: The Ganduje administration queries Sanusi for allegedly misappropriating N3.4 billion, an allegation the former bank chief denied.
December 2019: Ganduje assents to a bill passed by the Kano House of Assembly splitting the Kano Emirate Council into five emirates, whittling down the influence of Sanusi.
March 9, 2020: The Ganduje administration dethrones Sanusi for ‘disrespecting lawful instructions’. Sanusi is banished to Loko Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
March 9, 2020: Aminu Ado Bayero is appointed Emir of Kano.
February 2023: Kwankwaso’s political godson Abba Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) wins the governorship election in Kano, defeating Ganduje’s man, Nasir Gawuna.
April 2023: Kwankwaso says Yusuf will review Sanusi’s dethronement.
May 22, 2024: A proposed amendment to the Kano Emirate Council Laws scales its first reading on the Kano State House of Assembly floor.
May 23, 2024: The state assembly passes the bill dissolving the emirates created by Ganduje.
May 23, 2024: Governor Yusuf signs the bill into law and reinstates Sanusi as Kano Emir under one big emirate.
