Babatope Falade: Between Sanusi and Jonathan: The 2015 agreement

Upon the death of Alhaji Ado Bayero, the late Emir of Kano, Nigerians waited with rapt attention, glued to their devices and televisions to hear who his successor will be. Many people sympathetic to the cause of Mallam Lamido Sanusi must have fasted and prayed that he emerged as the new emir. It happened of course, Sanusi is now the leader of the Kano emirate, a kingdom with a thousand years of history.
However, it’s important to note that this didn’t happen without some political drama with the dramatis personae being the president, Goodluck Jonathan, the governor of Kano; Rabiu Kwankwanso who wields tremendous power in appointing a new emir to the traditional stool and APC stalwarts.
I bet the APC wanted Sanusi to emerge, but the PDP didn’t want him to, so much that conspiracy theory has it that the party deliberately congratulated the late emir’s first son.
It is strange that Sanusi was turbaned in the government house of Kano instead of the palace. This was as a result of the the siege of policeman on the emir’s palace in Kano. The presidency has been held responsible for this, rumour even had it that an arrest was planned, but forestalled by Kwankwanso who sheltered the new emir till he was able to gain access to his palace.
The important question in this piece is what price Sanusi paid to gain access to his palace. We hear the Sultan of Sokoto had to intercede for Sanusi to the president. I am sure Sanusi must have given his word on something. What can that be? I think it’s simply that he will be a neutral emir and not be a tool for the APC.
The APC government in Kano and Kwankwanso appointed Sanusi probably because he has international appeal and most importantly, because he has been on their side. How useful will he be in 2015, if he has actually given the president his word?
It will be wise if the new emir – Sanusi Lamido Sanusi – can honour the stool of his forefathers and not subjugate himself to partisan politics. This is important to keep sanctity for the Kano emirate and for Sanusi to be the spiritual leader he is supposed to be.
The new emir can no longer be making tough political statements and taking partisan postures. He must be the emir of everyone in his state. I bet if this is done and the emir can modernize the state and extend his influence to support education in the north, he might just turn out to be the best thing that has happened in that area of the country.
Finally, I hope the emirate stool will be respected by both PDP and APC. The PDP should show more respect for the stool going forward and the APC should avoid promoting a counterproductive agenda in the bid to make him pay back for he support they have given him so far.