Sanusi Bature, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State, has said that Aminu Ado Bayero was never the Emir of Kano.
In an appearance on Arise Television, Bature clarified that former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje had appointed Bayero as the Emir of the eight metropolitan local governments of Kano City rather than the entire Kano Emirate.
Bature criticised Ganduje for introducing politics into the historical Kano Emirate, which he said predates Nigeria and its constitution by over a thousand years. “The previous administration under Ganduje decided to compromise that history and politicise the emirate,” Bature stated. He emphasised that Governor Yusuf’s actions aimed to protect the integrity of the emirate and restore its traditional glory, as promised during his campaign.
Bature highlighted that this was not the first instance of an Emir being deposed, referencing the deposition of Sanusi by Ganduje, which led to Sanusi’s temporary departure from Kano. However, with the recent repeal of the 2019 Emirate Law, Sanusi has returned.
According to Bature, Bayero’s position as an emir was limited to the eight metropolitan areas due to the 2019 law that divided the traditional emirate. “Aminu Ado Bayero was never the Emir of Kano. He served as the Emir of the Kano city metropolitan areas, which no longer exist under the revised law for a united Kano,” he clarified.
Governor Yusuf recently deposed Ado Bayero and reinstated Muhammed Sanusi as the Emir of Kano. Despite the governor’s decision, Ado Bayero has refused to vacate his Nassarawa palace and is contesting the government’s action in court.
