Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser (NSA) to President Bola Tinubu, formally addressed Aminu Ado Bayero as the Emir of Kano during an event in Abuja, further highlighting the ongoing dispute over the Kano emirate throne.
Ribadu, who represented the president at the inaugural annual international lecture organized by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday, October 4, acknowledged Bayero in his speech, stating, “Of course, the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero,” a remark that was met with applause from the audience.
The Kano Emir throne has been the center of a longstanding dispute between Aminu Ado Bayero and Muhammad Sanusi II, the former Emir of Kano. The controversy began in May 2019 when the Kano State House of Assembly approved an amendment to the Kano State Emirate Council Law, splitting the emirate into five smaller entities—Kano, Rano, Gaya, Karaye, and Bichi—seemingly in a bid to reduce Sanusi’s influence as Emir of Kano.
Subsequently, Abdullahi Ganduje, then the governor of Kano, signed the bill into law. In March 2020, Ganduje deposed Sanusi, accusing him of defiance and disrespect for the governor’s lawful orders. Following Sanusi’s removal, Aminu Ado Bayero was installed as the new Emir of Kano.
However, the dispute reignited four years later when Abba Yusuf, the current governor of Kano, reinstated Sanusi as Emir of Kano after the state legislators passed the amended Kano State Emirate Council (Repeal) Bill 2024. The newly passed law abolished the division of Kano into five emirates, restoring the previous single emirate system under a single Emir’s leadership, as appointed by the governor.
Despite Sanusi’s reinstatement, Bayero continued to occupy a palace in Nassarawa LGA, leading to tensions in the state. Governor Yusuf ordered Bayero’s arrest, sparking speculation about federal backing for Bayero.
Aminu Gwarzo, Kano’s deputy governor, had accused NSA Ribadu of facilitating Bayero’s return to Kano by providing him with two private jets. Ribadu, however, denied the allegations and threatened legal action, demanding an apology from Gwarzo, who later retracted his statement.
The legal struggle over the Kano emirate throne continues, with rival factions battling it out in court. Both Bayero and Sanusi have filed lawsuits, further prolonging the leadership crisis in the historic emirate.
