Something very wrong is currently happening in Kano. But it did not start today, it did not even start yesterday; it started a very long time ago. It is about the kind of politics that goes on in Kano; politics that went on in Kano and might continue like that in Kano for a long time to come. Only that it is getting worse and more damaging by the day. Politicians have made the traditional institution in that ancient City and its tributaries a punching bag and a battle ground by opponents in very different circumstances. It has happened in the early 1980s and seemed to have died down with the fall of democracy in 1983. It has now coming back with the advent of democracy in 1999.
To understand the present, we have to look back into the past. Kano has been the center of opposition politics in the Northern part of Nigeria. It is birth place of Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU) and its off shoot, the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP in both the late 1950s and the late 1970s respectively. These two political parties were founded by the late political sage, Malam Aminu Kano. Some of the ingredients of his party manifestoes actually took up on traditional institutions and derided them for exploitation of man by man. NEPU supporters were persecuted for challenging the status quo. But they never budged. These persecutions actually hardened their hearts against the establishment as long as the first republic lasted.
In 1978 when politics returned, the same Malam Aminu Kano established the PRP which took much of the manifestoes of the NEPU in that era. Malam Aminu, now elderly and sober, curtailed some of his hard line beliefs, especially after witnessing how Nigeria underwent the war that almost broke the country into pieces. He was among the first set of Nigerians who were assembled to rebuild Nigeria where he served as a Federal Commissioner then, a position he would never have accepted under Late Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa regime.
But his radical principles have produced fiercer radicals who were a step ahead of him. His movement produced young politicians who were bold enough to openly abuse the traditional institutions in the state at that time, something Malam has never done. Significantly, it was at this second attempt that his party took the reigns of Kano and the legendary Alhaji Abubakar Rimi was made the Governor when he was still in his 30s. He and his colleagues would go on and abuse the Emir of Kano silly and threaten to impeach him. Rimi actually broke the Emirate of Kano into four and concluded plans to impeach the then Emir, Alhaji Ado Bayero. It was alleged that he wanted to re- install the removed Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi (1). He actually made him come closer to the City of Kano when he brought him to Wudil, a stone throw town from Kano. Sanusi was serving his banishment in Azare when Rimi returned him to Wudil, ostensibly for that reason.
As it were, Rimi fell with Malam Aminu Kano and joined another radical and newly formed Party, the PPP but lost his elections to the PRP which fielded Sabo Bakin Zuwo as its candidate. In fact, that was what saved the Kano Emirate from being broken into five parts. But the bottom line is the fact that Rimi is the product of NEPU/PRP philosophy.
Since the fall of the second republic, the Emirate saw a reprieve until the advent of another full political era in 1999. This time around, the State was blessed with a new regime under yet, another fire brand politician, Engr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. He and late Abubakar Rimi were products of PDP, the party that won most of the elections that year. This governor did not openly say he was going to break the Emirate into pieces, but he has not been particularly a darling to the Emirate. Late Alhaji Ado Bayero was a great man. And elder who was calm, calculating and experienced. At least his experience with Alhaji Abubakar Rimi regime has shown him the wisdom of how to handle politicians in future. And he handled Kawankawaso administration expertly and maturely until he died.
However, observers believed that despite the fact that the firebrand Kwakwaso did not have the real reason to hammer the Emir, he still dealt with his dynasty after his death when he denied them the opportunity to continue. He, against all expectations, brought in the incumbent Emir to the throne at the detriment of Bayero’s sons. But then, unknown to him, the woes of his choice were going to be worse that the woes of Bayero.
Yes, the woes of the present Emir are large because he lacks the wisdom of Bayero. Of course, if politicians want to deal with you, they need no reason tangible enough to do it. They just need a reason. But do not give them the reason to do it yourself. If Late Ado Bayero was as care free as Emir Muhammadu Sanusi (11), he wouldn’t have escaped the Kwankwaso trap. And in the same vein, if Emir Sanusi (11) was as careful as Bayero, what is happening today might not have happened.
But Muhammadu Sanusi (11) is extremely outspoken and unrepentant in his public criticisms. It is a virtue he transferred from his public life to the royal life. But there is a huge gap of difference between the two. Traditional rulers, nationwide, do not have a virtue of open deridation of those in authority. The same attitude affected the then, Emir of Gwandu, Mustapha Jokolo, his throne due to open fiasco with his then, Military Governor in Kebbi state. Emir Muhammadu Sanusi has more than once derided the incumbent Governor publicly, at a time when the majority of political observers see him as sympathetic to the Kwankwaso political group who are responsible for his enthronement but are arch-rivals of the incumbent governor. It is note worthy that the incumbent governor, an erstwhile Kwankwasiyya politician and a beneficiary of its political might in Kano, have fallen apart with the group and wants to curve his own political sphere of influence. The stroke that broke the camel’s back was the happenings during the rancorous gubernatorial elections in that state where the Emir was deep into comments that sent so many negative signals to the Ganduje group. This is in spite of the fact that several Northern governors earlier had to come in to save the Emir from punishment by Ganduje after similar open attacks on his administration. It was said that he had to apologies to the Governor and promise to show better behaviour in future.
What is happening in spite, the Emir is not showing any remorse. As at now, it was reported that the State Legislature wants to investigate the Emir for fresh charges of misappropriation of public funds. Instead of withdrawing to his shells and find a way of controlling the already done damage, he is daring the Governor the more by organising a defiant entry into the city after a London trip. The government did not scuttle the reception, but has actually noted it. The Kwankwasiyya group are not helping Emir Sanusi by fuelling the fire if discord between him and the State Government. Today, Ganduje is the man in power. Anyone with state at his disposal and wants to stay safe must show loyalty to him and his administration. Late Ado Bayero did same to the then Governor Kwankwaso. Emir Sanusi cannot be an exception to Governor Ganduje. Until power is wrested from him, he actually holds the four aces as at now.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect WikkiTimes’ editorial stance.
