At the time the late emir of Kano Alhaji Dr. Ado Bayero departed to the great beyond on June,6,2014, everyone was kept guessing over who would emerge as his successor looking at his charisma, gravitas and high disposition as an exceptional blue-blooded personality in contemporary history.
The widely held speculation was led to rest when governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso took the people of Kano by great surprise when he appointed Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II as the 13th Fulani emir of Kano
Since the appointment of Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II as the 13th Fulani Emir of Kano by the immediate past governor of the state, Dr.Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso , the issue of loyalty and paying homage to the new emir had continued to elicit the attention of those keeping a constant tab in on the unfolding drama in the revered Kano ruling monarchy.
Emir’s Sanusi’s appointment by the immediate past governor was an episode least expected given the politics and intrigues involved in the succession battle that preceded the demise of the late emir of Kano Alhaji Ado Bayero.
Given the high expectation of many people that the late emir would ultimately be succeeded by his eldest son the deposed Ciroman Kano, Alhaji Sanusi Ado Bayero the issue of having controversy in the succession battle was completely ruled out.
Out of his unpredictable nature of doing things and his usual pugilist vocabulary in taking every decision that suits his conscience, Kwankwaso dared anyone who risked to challenge his authority that the decision he had taken to appoint Sanusi to succeed Bayero was final and irreversible given the power bestowed on him by the constitution to appoint the emir.
People were also not surprised by Kwankwaso’s eleventh hour decision given what had preceded his altercation with the late emir of Kano Alhaji Ado Bayero at the time the former used an executive fiat to quash the appointment of Wazirin Kano Alhaji Nasir Muhammad Nasir by the latter.
It was however the contention of pundits that the decision taken by Kwankwaso to appoint Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II as the one to succeed the late Bayero might have been informed by the bad blood created between him and the late emir.
His failure to appoint the late emir’s eldest son ,Alhaji Sanusi Ado Bayero had undoubtedly infuriated the all those who had pinned their hope on the premise that Bayero would succeed Bayero leading to a minor scuffle which was nipped in the bud by law enforcement agents.
With emir Muhammadu Sanusi becoming firmly entrenched in the saddle of authority as the 13th Fulani emir of Kano, the issue of loyalty and paying homage came to be debated by those who are conversant with the fact that loyalty to the new king is incontestable.
Looking at his pedigree as one of the grandsons of the the late emir Muhammadu Sanusi I who upon sensing his imminent deposition by the then ruling political orligarchy under the leadership of the premier of the northern region Sir, Ahamadu Bello , Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi IIwas also believed to have inherited his late grand father as the law of inheritance permitted.
Emir Sanusi had at a parley with the press told anyone who cared to listen that his major ambition in life was to become the emir of Kano which God in his infinite wisdom had willed it saying his final journey as a mortal would be from his seat of power to the grave since he had fulfiled his ambition in life.
The issue of loyalty to emir Sanusi was thoroughly sorted out except for the alleged recalcitrant posture exhibited by the deposed Ciroman Kano who had chosen to live a seclusive life after losing his bid to succeed his late father.
For emir Sanusi to be assured that he had consolidated a dynasty akin to his late grand father, all the Districts Heads in the Kano emirate Councl and other notable traditional title holders had exhibited their servile loyalty to him with the exception of the deposed Ciroman Kano.
The issue of the deposed Ciroman Kano’s disloyalty to the emir had continued to be an issue of great debate in the palace and the court of public opinion who been nursing the impression that it was high time for the emirate Council to take a final decision on the fate of the defiant Ciroman Kano
The decision taken by the Kano emirate council to appoint a new Ciroman Kano came to the fore after realizing the inescapable fact that the late Ciroman Kano was never wiling to kow- tow to pressure and pay homage to the man who succeeded his father.
The statement signalling his removal was duly endorsed and signed by the Galadiman Kano, Alhaji Abbas Sanusi who also made it explicitly clear that a new Ciroman Kano has been appointed after the removal of the incumbent Ciroma, Alhaji Sanusi Ado Bayero
According to the statement, Alhaji Sanusi Ado Bayero was stripped of his revered title as the Ciroman Kano as a result of his recalcitrant posture of not paying homage to the new emir as earlier done by District Heads and other prominent traditional title holders.
The statement however stated that it was the provision of the Sharia Islamic law that had compelled every member of the Kano emirate Council to pay homage to the new king with the demise of the incumbent stressing that God in his infinite wisdom gives power to whom he so wishes and takes away from whom he so wishes.
The statement however added that paying homage to a new king is a binding obligation on the shoulder of any traditional title holder in the Kano emirate Council spanning over many centuries since its creation saying it is also mandatory for any disloyal traditional title holder to abdicate his title or give the emir the room to appoint any person of his choice.
“As you are all aware since the appointment of Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II as the new emir of Kano on June8,2014, all the District Heads and other traditional title holders in the Kano emirate council had cringed to pay their homage to the new emir with the exception of the Ciroman Kano” the statement said.
“It is in view of this development that his royal highness the emir of Kano Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II took the decision to appoint Alhaji Nasir Ado Bayero as the new Ciroman Kano” the statement concluded.
The removal of Ciroman Kano Alhaji Sanusi Ado Bayero had however generated a discordant tune and considerable furore even among pundits and royal historians who viewed the episode from different angles.
According Nawaila Mandawari, who had also witnessed the controversy that surrounded the abdication of the new emir’s grand father, since the issue of loyalty was ordained by Sharia one has no cogent reason to defy the will of the constituted authorities adding that emir Muhammadu Sanusi had once exhibited a trait that took everyone by surprise.
He said at the time the father of the late emir Muhammadu Sanusi I , Alhaji Abdullahi Bayero died in1953, every traditional title holder came to pay him homage with no pocket of resistant which made the emir to be convinced that there was no scintilla of grudge against his leadership.
But the leading consensus among opinion leaders and pundits is the fact that Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II has made up his mind to remove the Ciroman Kano, Alhaji Sanusi Ado Bayero and replace him with his junior brother, Alhaji Nasir Ado Bayero.
