by Ahmad Bala Kabo

Finally, The Emir is at His Palace: Gidan Rumfa.

 

Today Friday 13th June 2014 mark the seventh day of mourning the death of HRH Alh. Dr. Ado Bayero may his soul rest in peace, amin and five days after the selection of HRH Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as the 14th Emir of Kano by the Council’s kingmakers and endorsed by His Excellency the executive Governor of Kano state. His (SLS) enthronement was accompanied by protest in some part of the ancient city by aggrieved youths due to the premature congratulatory message to the elder Son of late Ado Bayero as the new emir by the ruling party, PDP.

Infrequently has traditional succession to the rule come and gone without controversy and nowadays even with violence; but that is no indication of the unpopularity of the one chosen, because violence can be, and is, planned by disgruntled elders and carried out by little children. When Sultan Abubakar III ascended the Sokoto Caliphate throne in 1938, those who lost out in the contest refused to accept the kingmakers’ verdict, and for more than a month, the Sultan had no access to his palace and had to stay the entire period in the army barracks. By the time he died, after more than half a century of the throne, he was a much-loved and today much-missed patriarch of the Northern flock.

When he died in 1988 and Sultan Ibrahim Dasuki was selected the new Sultan, riots broke out in Sokoto and for several days the city was a no-go area as police battled demonstrators opposed to him. Before his deposition in 1996, he gave effective leadership, and today people would give anything to have him back.

When Alhaji Ado Bayero himself succeeded Muhammadu Inuwa in 1963, there were widespread protests by people alleging attempts by government to finish Muhammadu Sanusi’s dynasty after his removal from office. He also spent more than fifty years on the throne as a popular monarch. There are many more examples if you may follow the history. Therefore protests prove nothing.

Interestingly, spiritual leaders, politicians and important personalities paid homage to the emir and described him as competent. Notable among them include His Eminence Alh. Sa’ad Abubakar III, Sultan of Sokoto (Nasril Islam), Sheikh Abdullahi Bala Lau (Izala:JIBWIS), Sheikh Isyaka Rabiu (Tijjaniyya) Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi, Business Mogul Alh. Aliko Dangote, serving and ex-governors. The list is too long to go through.

Furthermore, the withdrawal of federal security from the state government house and the subsequent cordoned of the Emir’s palace made the Africa house vulnerable to physical threats and blocked the Emir from entering his palace respectively. Thanks to our statesmen and Northern elders under the umbrella of Arewa Consultative Forum(ACF) for their foresight to convince the president to stay away from contentious issues outside his jurisdiction.
Finally, The Emir is at His Palace: Gidan Rumfa.

May Allah bless us, our state and our Nation with health peace, understanding and economic stability, ameen.
Long live Kano state
Long live the Emir.

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