Don’t dissolve Kano emirates, APC chieftain warns Governor
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Kano, Alhajj Alhassan Yaryasa, has advised Governor Abba Yusuf against any attempt to sack the five Emirs in the state.
Recall that the immediate past administration of former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje created four additional emirates and sacked the former Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, and replaced him with Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero.
After the New Nigeria People’s Party defeated the APC in the 2023 governorship election, the leader of the NNPP and ex-Kano governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, had promised that the Yusuf-led NNPP administration would reverse Ganduje’s decision and restore the Kano Emirate to what it was.
“We tried not to intervene in the issue of bringing or removing any Emir, but now, an opportunity has come. Those who were given this opportunity will sit down and see the issues. They will look at what they are expected to do.
“Besides the Emir, even the emirate has been divided into five places. All these need to be studied. Usually, a leader inherits good, bad, and issues that are hard to reconcile,” Kwankwaso, who is Yusuf’s political godfather, had said early May 2023.
Speaking with The PUNCH on Thursday in Kano, Yaryasa, who was the Coordinator of the Tinubu Camping Organisation for Kano South, warned Yusuf not to go ahead with the threat to upset the Kano emirate arrangement created by Ganduje.
He said the advice was necessary in the interest of peace following recent calls on the governor to dissolve the emirates.
According to him, the governor was being pressured by some people who were bent on causing trouble in Kano and creating disaffection between the government and the people of the emirates.
Yaryasa said, “I want to advise Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to disregard such calls on him to dissolve the four emirates by some people who do not wish the state well.
“The governor is now a father to all people in the state, irrespective of political inclination. Those calling for the removal or scrapping of the emirates are enemies of the state and are doing so for their personal and selfish interests.”
Our correspondent observed that recently there were calls from some quarters on Governor Yusuf, especially on social media platforms, to dissolve the four new emirates and sack the present Kano Emir, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero and reinstate the former Emir, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II.
Yaryasa said any attempt to scrap the emirates would not augur well for the state as it would be greeted with stiff resistance, especially from the people of the emirates.
“The governor is popular but if he attempts to dissolve the new emirates, it will seriously affect his popularity.
“I want to draw his attention to the fact that traditional rulers are not political office appointees whom you can remove any time at will without committing a serious offence,” Yaryasa said.
He called on respected elders in the state to caution the governor against such plans to tamper with the new emirates, stressing any attempt to dissolve the new emirates would be resisted.
“There is an urgent need for elders in the state to advise the governor against succumbing to any pressure on the new emirates because it will not augur well for the state.
“There should be a law that would prevent politicians, especially governors and other elected political officeholders from meddling in the affairs of traditional institutions in the country.
“Politicians should respect traditional institutions, otherwise it will be rendered useless in the eyes of the society,” the APC chieftain said.
