Muhammad Sanusi’s Dethronement

It is no longer news that the 14th emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi 11, had been dethroned and banished to Nasarawa State by Governor Ganduje of Kano State. The news of the removal of the emir was conveyed by the secretary to the Kano State government, Usman Alhaji last Monday. The state government blamed the former emir of insubordination. Even before his final dethronement, many people saw his exit coming. The loquacious, brilliant and educated emir had been running a battle with the executive governor. The rift between the duo deteriorated in the build-up to 2019 general election in which Sanusi was accused of supporting the candidate of PDP, Abba Kabir Yusuf, which did not go down well with the governor.

Since then, it was series of coordinated turbulence for the deposed emir. It started with the investigation of an alleged embezzlement of emirate funds, creation of additional emirates to clip his influence and finally, dethronement. All efforts to reconcile the governor and the emir failed to yield positive result. Now, Sanusi11 has kissed his throne a good bye. Although during his farewell speech, the former emir accepted what happened to him in good faith and enjoined supporters to extend their support to his successor, there are lessons worthy to learn from the life and times of this great former monarch.

First, nobody can deny the fact that Sanusi Lamido Sanusi is an economist and astute banker who, besides being a lecturer, had a successful banking career. Sanusi rose to the position of managing director of First Bank Limited. He was also appointed governor of CBN by the administration of late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and later retained by Jonathan’s government. The former emir is a radical scholar who often speaks truth to power. As governor of CBN, Sanusi became a whistleblower and exposed corruption in NNPC, an action that led to his sack by former President Jonathan. Even after he ascended the throne, the gadfly emir did not stop calling spade a spade. In every occasion he was invited, the former revered monarch criticized government policies and programs that he felt are not in tandem with global best practices. In fact, Emir Sanusi became a champion for religious and cultural reforms in the backward Northern Nigeria. His radical and liberal stance pitched him against many conservatives Northern elite. To these groups, Sanusi should have shut up his mouth like other traditional rulers. Ibrahim Mustapha, Pambegua, Kaduna State