Tensions are escalating in Northern Nigeria’s largest city, Kano, as two rival royals vie for the influential emirate throne.
The power struggle has been likened to a Nigerian “Game of Thrones,” highlighting how traditional institutions are increasingly intertwined with political power in Africa’s most populous country.
Emirs in the predominantly Muslim north, along with Obas and other traditional rulers in the Christian south, still wield considerable influence outside Nigeria’s elected government.
The emir of Kano is traditionally the second most senior Islamic leader in Nigeria after the Sultan of Sokoto.
The recent turmoil began when Kano’s state governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, reinstated former emir Muhammadu Sanusi II last week, four years after his removal by the previous governor.
His successor, Aminu Ado Bayero, was ousted on Thursday along with four other emirs after lawmakers amended the 2019 emirate law.
Bayero, however, returned to Kano under the cover of night and declared himself the legitimate emir, citing a court order restraining his dismissal pending a hearing in early June. “We call on the authorities to do justice in this matter. Kano is a very influential state in Nigeria. Whatever affects Kano affects Nigeria,” he asserted.
As legal battles ensue, Kano’s high court has barred Bayero from presenting himself as emir until the June hearing. Meanwhile, Sanusi has moved into the palace and is holding daily court, while Bayero resides in a royal guest house a few kilometers away, receiving support from his followers.
Sanusi criticized political leaders for “Balkanizing” the emirates by creating multiple posts and claimed his return had restored order in Kano.
Both palaces are heavily guarded by military and police forces. While the city remains relatively calm, fears of potential violence loom as supporters of both royals grow increasingly restless.
On Sunday, Bayero’s supporters protested his removal, although critics suspect the protests were politically motivated. Later, police uncovered a plot by “miscreants” to incite violence in the city, targeting government buildings, including the state assembly and governor’s residence. State police commissioner Husseini Gumel indicated politicians were sponsoring these thugs.
The conflict between Sanusi and Bayero is also a proxy battle for political control between former governors. Sanusi, appointed the 14th emir of Kano in 2014 by then-governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, faced trouble after Abdullahi Umar Ganduje succeeded Kwankwaso in 2015.
Ganduje, now the national chairman of the ruling APC, dethroned Sanusi in 2020 for “insubordination” and alleged financial mismanagement, partly due to Sanusi’s criticism of Ganduje’s policies and his support for Kwankwaso’s 2019 election campaign.
While traditional rulers in Nigeria lack constitutional powers, they hold significant cultural influence and political clout, particularly during elections. By reinstating Sanusi, Governor Yusuf fulfilled a campaign promise and strengthened his political base and that of his party, NNPP, and its patron, Kwankwaso. Bayero’s resistance, meanwhile, is seen as Ganduje’s strategy to maintain the ruling APC’s political relevance in Kano.
On Saturday, the influential Ulama Council in Kano urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to avoid taking sides to prevent anarchy. “Mr. President, as the nation’s leader, should not allow the contest for a royal stool to degenerate into violence,” the clerics cautioned, calling for an amicable resolution.
