The rumours going round that the new Emir’s name was not on the list of
the people forwarded to him for final approval. “The name of our new
Emir was among the list...
AMID controversy over the appointment of the former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, as the new Emir of Kano, the state governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has Monday given a letter of appointment to the new emir at the Kano Government House.
Kwankwaso said that the appointment of an Emir was not a political matter. He, therefore, advised people not to see anything politics in the new appointment. “The selection procedure is not like that of an election in our today political arrangement where you put ballot boxes at the polling units”, he revealed.
He debunked the rumours going round that the new Emir’s name was not on the list of the people forwarded to him for final approval. “The name of our new Emir was among the list. In fact, he was the first on the list”, he stated.
“All due procedures were followed in the selection of the new Emir. People should know that the appointment of a new Emir is the sole responsibility of a governor.” Kwankwaso revealed.
Besides, the Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, has congratulated former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, on his appointment as the Emir of Kano.
A statement by Oshiomhole’s Press Secretary, Peter Okhiria, quoted the governor as saying in a congratulatory letter that “it gives me great pleasure on behalf of the good people and government of Edo State, to congratulate Your Royal Highness on your well-deserved appointment as the 57th Emir of Kano.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the PDP of inciting the violence that followed the announcement of a new Emir of Kano, Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, on Sunday.
The party said this was an apparent attempt to destabilise the state, and urged the Kano State Attorney-General to prosecute all PDP officials involved in this act of destabilisation.
In a statement issued in Lagos yesterday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the statement issued by PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, congratulating one of the contenders long before the Kano State government announced the new Emir was premeditated and calibrated to incite violence.
It wondered why a ruling party, which has access to Kano or any state government, would rush to the media to congratulate a contender who had not been selected, without even contacting the selecting authority to ensure the veracity of whatever news it may have heard.
In another development, before the letter of appointment was given, there was a face-off between the supporters of the new Emir and that of the eldest son of the late Emir where five people were reported to have allegedly died. Up to the time of filing this report, no official source could confirm the clash between the two parties.
On his part, Emir Sanusi assured that the unrest in the ancient city of Kano was not caused by any of his relatives, referring to the sons of the late Emir.
He said that himself and the Turaki of Kano, Sanusi Ado Bayero, were so close that they were even sharing room for over 10 years as his relation.
The APC said: ‘’What is so urgent about congratulating the new Emir that could not have waited for a few hours for the appropriate authority to make an official announcement?’’
The party said when the announcement was eventually made and the contender who had already been congratulated lost out, it is only natural that his supporters would feel shortchanged.
‘’It is therefore obvious that the PDP, through its National Publicity Secretary, went out of their way to stoke the fire of violence in Kano.
“Since we live in a country which is being governed by the rule of law, the best option open to the Kano State government is for the state Attorney-General to immediately initiate criminal proceedings against PDP and its officials for incitement. Whatever explanations they have for their irresponsible and premeditated actions they should reserve for their defence in court,’’ APC said.
Former Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister and chieftain of APC, Nasir el-Rufai, also yesterday accused the Federal Government of undue interference in the selection and appointment of new Emir of Kano.
El-Rufai, who was in Kano to witness the appointment of a new Emir of Kano, told journalists that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had tried to politicise the appointment of new Emir but failed woefully.
He said: “When the PDP realised Sanusi was about to be appointed the new Emir, they did everything to frustrate it. I wonder why because it is not the responsibility of the President to appoint the Emir and so they have lost. They should just forget the game.”
“It is all in their effort to create confusion and frustration over the appointment that they stop the landing of private jets on Malam Aminu Kano International Airport.
“It was as a result of that action on the airport that many governors were not able to make it to the occasion of witnessing the handing over of the letter of appointment to the new Emir, according to the former minister.
El-Rufai insisted that former CBN governor’s appointment was not political.
“It is God that selects the Emir and not anybody. Although the kingmakers made their selection and the governor does his appointment, but I can tell you his case was God-making”, he added.
