Kwankwaso Says Abba Gida-Gida Will Revisit Sanusi’s Dethronement

Presidential Candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, has said the incoming government in Kano will revisit the dethronement of Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi, 14th Emir of Kano.

Sanusi, who became emir in the final term of Kwankwaso as governor, was dethroned by outgoing Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, who was deputy governor at the time the monarch was installed.

Sanusi was removed on March 9, 2020, and also banished from Kano and sent to Loko, a remote community in Nasarawa State, while the expenses of the emirate under him were probed.

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Ganduje had also split the emirate into five and appointed emirs who were at par.

But speaking in a viral video, Kwankwao said the dethronement and balkanisation of the emirate would be reviewed by the government of Abba Kabir Yusuf, the governor-elect, who is popularly known as Abba Gida-Gida.

“We have campaigned and as you know we are popular in Nigeria especially in Kano state, we are now back and God willing we will continue with the good works our administration left. This incoming governor and his team will take them up.”

“As elders, we will continue to advise them to do the right thing. We tried not intervene in the issue of bringing or removing any Emir, but now, an opportunity has come.

“Those who were given this opportunity will sit down and see to the issues. They will look at what they are expected to do. Beside the Emir, even the emirate has been divided into five places. All these need to be studied. Usually a leader inherits good, bad and issues that are hard to reconcile.”

He further prayed for God’s intervention to allow the incoming governor to be able to handle things easily.

No regrets dethroning Sanusi

One year after he removed Sanusi, Gaduje had said he took the decision to save the system and the traditional institution from abuse.

He spoke at the presentation of a book on former President Goodluck Jonathan, authored by a journalist, Mr. Bonaventure Melah.

Ganduje had said Sanusi was not the best man for the throne, alleging that the deposed emir was appointed to spite former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Jonathan had in April 2014 removed Sanusi as governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) over claims by the ex-CBN governor that $49 billion was stolen by some persons under the Jonathan administration.

Faulting Sanusi’s public outburst over the alleged fraud, Ganduje said the ex-CBN governor ought to have discussed the matter privately with the former president who in turn could have directed an investigation into the allegation.

“Jonathan took a bold step in [removing] Sanusi as CBN governor, which created bad blood in certain circles. When Sanusi said $49 billion was lost in Jonathan’s government, I said in my mind that no, you could have discussed with him (Jonathan) privately.

“You could have given him this clue and then he would know how to investigate even before those who had stolen the money would find a way of hiding the money.

“That statement, I said in my mind was not honourable. That statement created bad blood… Sanusi was appointed Emir of Kano not because he was the best man for the throne but to retaliate what Jonathan did to him.

“That was in order to prove that what Jonathan did to him was wrong and that the people of Kano wanted their son as emir and, therefore, they decided to appoint him as emir. But when he was appointed, there were a lot of demonstrations with people burning tyres here and there. But because of government backing, he was sustained on the stool.

“When I became governor, (that’s why you will laugh), I said yes, Jonathan medicine is an important medicine. That medicine, even though I am not a medical doctor, but that medicine would serve the same purpose, for the same disease and for the same patient.

“So I took my Jonathan medicine and decided to save the system, to save the institution and I applied it effectively. So Jonathan and I are on the same page. Actually, I have no regrets.”