Reinstated Emir Sanusi Attributes Return to Divine Will

Muhammadu Sanusi II, the reinstated 16th Emir of Kano, attributed his return to the throne to divine intervention and the will of God. On Friday, Sanusi received his letter of appointment from Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, at the Government House in Kano.

Sanusi, who was dethroned in 2020 following a fallout with former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, expressed his gratitude and reflected on the divine nature of his reinstatement.

“The Arabians used to say in everything that we are going to witness, there is a lesson that shows us that God is there,” Sanusi said during his appreciation speech. “Whatever is happening to an individual is preordained by Allah and to those who are sensible enough, it’s a lesson.”

Sanusi emphasized that divine will is unchangeable, saying, “God is one and whatever He does, nobody can change and what He doesn’t do, nobody can. Time will not permit for long talks. Whatever we will say, we have said it when we were leaving. We made it clear that God has preordained time and cause for everything and everyone. He gave leadership to whom he wanted and at the time he wanted. When He gives, no one can take it away and when he takes it away, nobody can take it back.”

Reflecting on his journey, Sanusi recalled, “In 2014, I was appointed by former governor Rabiu Kwankwaso as the Emir, and now, 10 years after, I am here again receiving the reappointment letter by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.”

He acknowledged the significance of his reinstatement in the history of Kano, stating, “Among Kano Emirs, it started from Bagauda over 1,000 years ago. In this year, it was once that we had Emir Muhammadu Koguna who was overthrown and he came back after some days. This shows that in 1,000 years, there has been no case like what happened now.”

Sanusi also commented on the political fragmentation of emirates in northern Nigeria, saying, “In the northern part of this country, we have seen it in different states how politicians balkanised emirates with a state with one Emir becoming 20, some 19. In states of northern Nigeria, there are Local Governments with two or three first-class Emirs all because the system has been destroyed.”

He praised the government’s decision to consolidate the emirates, asserting, “This thing that has been brought to Kano, had it been it was allowed, one day we will wake up with Emir of Kumbotso, Bichi, Fagge and 44 Emirs. So what the government and the assembly did is a rescue mission.”

Governor Yusuf, while presenting the appointment letter to Sanusi, stated, “By the powers conferred on me by the Kano Emirate Council Law of 1984 and 2024, and supported by the recommendation of the kingmakers, I have the singular pleasure of confirming the reappointment of Muhammadu Sanusi II as the Emir of Kano and the head of the Kano Emirate Council.”

Yusuf highlighted Sanusi’s qualifications, noting that his reappointment was “based on his competence, credibility and popularity.” He urged the Emir to adhere to the principles of Islamic teachings and use his position to unite the emirate, fostering harmony among the Islamic sects in the state.