Kano Emirate: I didn’t ask Gov Yusuf to reinstate Sanusi – Kwankwaso

The 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and former governor of Kano State, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, clarified that he did not issue any directive regarding the reinstatement of HRH Muhammadu Sanusi II as Emir of Kano.

Kwankwaso stated that he learned about the Emir’s reinstatement from the news, just like everyone else. During an interview on the BBC Hausa service on Friday, the former Minister of Defence said, “What you saw is what I also saw, but I will go to Kano very soon and speak with some of the assembly members, especially the speaker, and the Governor to understand what is happening.”

When asked about his possible involvement as the leader of the party, Kwankwaso responded, “Rabiu Kwankwaso has burnt his hands over dictating what to do. We are still with the Governor, working together. It’s just a matter of offering advice, and if you are not asked to, you keep quiet. As long as things are going right, we just pray and hope that they succeed.”

Kwankwaso emphasized that his previous comments about revisiting the case did not specify any particular course of action. “When I said we will revisit the case, I didn’t say the direction to follow. I just said it will be reviewed… When I go there, I will hear what happened and I am sure they will tell me whatever happened. We just pray for them. I heard the Assembly members have repealed the law.”

He elaborated on the context of the situation, indicating that the focus should be on whether actions taken were justified. “What we were telling them was they should go and investigate whether what happened was done out of goodwill or not. What happened appears to be a vendetta or cheating. It’s just a matter of did Ganduje do right or wrong? It’s not about going against him.”

Kwankwaso also reflected on his own tenure as governor, noting, “For those that are looking at it from the perspective of whether it’s going to be tenure-based, they are somehow right but who started it? When I came back as Governor in 2011, everybody knew that late Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero, was not supporting us, he was supporting Shekarau. But when we got into power, we never thought of dethroning him.”