Former Central Bank Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi II, has been reinstated as the Emir of Kano. This reinstatement comes after the State House of Assembly passed a new law abolishing the four additional emirates that had been created alongside the Emirate of Kano.
These additional emirates were established under a controversial law enacted in 2019 by the administration of former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.
According to a report by LEADERSHIP, there has not yet been an official statement regarding Sanusi’s reinstatement. However, sources familiar with the situation have informed the newspaper that Sanusi II will return to Kano on Friday.
One source explained, “With the passage of the Bill, Sanusi is automatically reinstated. There is no need for further confirmation; we simply need to wait for the governor to assent to it.”
Earlier, the State Assembly had passed a bill dissolving the newly established emirates. This bill is known as ‘The Kano State Emirates Councils (Repeal) Bill, 2024.’ The announcement was made by the Senior Special Assistant on Digital Media to the state governor, Tuwita, on the social media platform X, stating that the bill was passed after it successfully went through the third reading in the legislature.
The new law reverses the creation of the additional emirates, thereby restoring Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as the Emir of the Kano Emirate. The original law was first amended in 2019 amid a conflict between then-Governor Ganduje and Sanusi, who had served as the Central Bank Governor.
This amendment divided the Kano Emirate into five parts with the creation of Rano, Karaye, Gaya, and Bichi emirates, appointing first-class emirs for each. This eventually led to the deposition of Sanusi as the Emir of Kano.
The election victory of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf reignited calls for Sanusi’s reinstatement. Before the election, Yusuf had promised to restore the old Kano Emirate system.
