Deposed Emir of Kano Was Enthroned to Spite Ex-President Jonathan, Governor Ganduje Says

Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, on Tuesday gave reasons why he dethroned Alhaji Lamido Sanusi as the Emir of Kano. The governor said he took the decision to save the system and the traditional institution from abuse.

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

According to him, Sanusi was not the best man for the throne at the time he was appointed in June 2014, saying 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.

Ganduje said Jonathan took a bold step by removing Sanusi as CBN governor even though the action created bad blood in certain circles.

The Kano governor said: “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.”

In June 2014, barely two months after he was removed as CBN governor, Sanusi got appointed as the Emir of Kano, a position that Ganduje said he did not deserve in the first place.

Ganduje, however, removed Sanusi as Emir of Kano on March 9, 2020, a decision the governor said he took to “save the system and to save the institution.”

Sanusi was appointed during the administration of Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, in which Ganduje was deputy governor. He succeeded Kwankwaso in 2015.

Sounding derisively jocular, Ganduje said: “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.”

Ibrahim Shuaibu

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