- By Halimah Olamide
Effectively as from today Saturday the people of ancient city of Kano will have to contend with the reality that they are having two Emirs.
This has never happened in the history of the Northern Nigerian city.
The decision of the House of Assembly last Thursday to repeal the law that created new emirates under the Umaru Ganduje administration had set the stage for the current stalemate.
While Sanusi Lamido sanusi, who was deposed in 2020 is holding court at the main traditional palace, Aminu Ado Bayero is holding his own at the Nasarawa GRA palace. What does this portend for the city?
The announcement by joint security chiefs of the state Saturday morning that they would not honour Governor Kabir Abba Yussuf’s order for the arrest of Ado Bayero is an indication of an impending escalation of the conflict in the state.
The Federal Government has the levers of the Nigerian police, the Directorate of State Security, the Army and other security agencies.
The Governor is left toothless in his order for the arrest of the deposed Emir. But this is not all. It is an indication of a possible breakdown of law and order in the state with the supporters of both parties poising for war.
Some Islamic scholars have urged President Bola Tinubu to wade into the crisis.
If anyone expected such an early intervention by the presidency, the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu was quick to deny claims that the NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, facilitated the return of the dethroned Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, to the ancient city on Saturday.
The spokesperson for the office of the NSA, Zakari Mijinyawa, described the claims as false.
Mijinyawa, who spoke in Abuja, was reacting to the state Deputy Governor, Aminu Gwarzo, who had accused the NSA of facilitating the return of the dethroned emir.
However, in spite of the denial, many believe that the refusal of the security agencies in the state to back Governor Yusuf is an indication that the powers in Abuja is backing Bayero who is the choice of the ruling party’s National Chairman Umar Ganduje.