Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State has ruled out any plan to remove the 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, insisting that his recent political alignment with the centre will not alter the status of the Kano Emirate or affect the monarch’s position on the throne.
According to Weekend Trust, Governor Yusuf spoke on Friday through his spokesman, Sanusi Bature, saying that there was “absolutely no plan or agreement” that would lead to Sanusi II’s removal.
“There is no plan to replace Emir Sanusi on the throne of Kano,” he said. “The appointment of the emir was done after the emirate’s law had been repealed, and there is no plan at the executive level for any further amendment.
“Emir Sanusi has been duly appointed in accordance with the repeal law, and this defection to the APC will not in any way change the status quo. Emir Sanusi remains the Emir of Kano. There is no move, no intention to substitute him.”
He described the renewed speculation as unfounded rumours being circulated by individuals “who do not mean well for Kano State”. “People should disregard such rumours,” he said. “There must be a clear understanding of the distinction between institutions. The traditional institution is non-partisan. What His Excellency did was to restore the lost glory and integrity of that institution.”
Sanusi, who was deposed in March 2020 by then-Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and replaced with Bayero, was reinstated in May 2024 by Governor Yusuf.
The reinstatement followed the passage of the Kano State Emirates Councils (Repeal) Law 2024 by the state House of Assembly, which abolished the five emirates created under the 2019 law widely seen as instrumental to Sanusi’s initial removal.
By repealing that law, the Yusuf administration restored Kano to a single-emir structure, removing Bayero and the other first-class emirs appointed under the previous arrangement.
Despite this, Bayero continued to lay claim to the throne, reportedly enjoying security backing and tacit recognition from some federal authorities, further deepening the crisis.
The prolonged standoff sharply divided loyalties within the revered emirate and fractured what had long been a closely knit royal family, as political interests increasingly shaped traditional allegiances.
Fresh permutations emerged earlier this week after Governor Yusuf defected to the APC, aligning with former governor Ganduje, who is widely regarded as a key supporter of Bayero.
