Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has expressed that the Nigerian government led by President Bola Tinubu should be held accountable if any violence erupts in Kano State due to the ongoing emirate conflict.
Atiku criticized the Tinubu administration for supporting the recently ousted Emir, Aminu Ado Bayero, by sending security forces to escort him into the emirate palace early on Saturday morning.
He defended the Kano State government’s decision to dethrone Ado Bayero, emphasizing that this matter falls under state jurisdiction. Governor Abba Yusuf enacted the repealed Kano State Emirate Council law, leading to the reinstatement of the deposed Emir Sanusi as the current emir.
According to Atiku, the Federal Government’s actions violate the 1999 Constitution as Amended. He cautioned the Tinubu administration against any actions that could destabilize the historically peaceful Kano State.
In his statement, Atiku noted that the Federal Government’s deployment of soldiers to Kano over the throne dispute threatens the state’s peace and security and breaches the 1999 Constitution.
He highlighted that the Kano State House of Assembly lawfully passed the amended Kano State Emirate Council (Repeal) Bill 2024 under Section 4 of the Constitution, which Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf signed into law.
This law repealed the 2019 version, which had divided the ancient Kano Emirate into five.
Atiku explained that these events occurred legally and within the governor’s constitutional powers as provided by Section 5(2) of the Constitution.
In consultation with the Kingmakers of Kano, Governor Yusuf reappointed Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (also known as Muhammadu Sanusi II) as the 16th Emir of Kano State and issued him a letter of appointment.
Atiku found it surprising that around 5:30 am, the former Emir, Aminu Ado Bayero, with Federal support, entered the Nasarawa Palace of the Kano Emirate while the reappointed Emir, Muhammadu Sanusi II, was at Gidan Dabo, the main residence of the Emir of Kano.
He stated that the former Emir could not have accessed the Nasarawa Palace without Federal Government backing, supported by the Army and other security personnel. Atiku argued that deploying soldiers in such extra-constitutional matters undermines the Nigerian military’s integrity.
He reminded the Tinubu administration of Kano State’s long-standing peace and harmony and warned against any attempts to disrupt this stability. Atiku recalled that Kano remained peaceful after Muhammadu Sanusi II was dethroned on March 9, 2020, without any unrest.
Atiku unequivocally stated that if law and order break down in Kano State, especially in Kano Municipal, the Federal Government should be held responsible for providing security cover to former Emir Aminu Ado Bayero, inviting potential anarchy.
