Dethronement: Ganduje didn’t give me opportunity to defend myself – Sanusi

Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II has said he was not given opportunity to defend himself before he was dethroned in 2020.

Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, former governor of Kano, had deposed Sanusi and split the emirate into five.

On Thursday, May 23, 2024, the Kano State House of Assembly heard the motion on the Kano State Emirate Council Amendment Bill and eventually repealed the 2019 Law that allowed for the creation of the five separate emirates from the old Kano Emirates.

The development paved the way for the historic return of Sanusi.

Speaking during an interview with Television Continental (TVC), Sanusi described his return to the throne as a correction of injustice done to the people, culture and tradition of Kano.

He said: “As you know, I was appointed the 14th Emir of the single emirate of Kano in June 2014 and now I am reappointed as the Emir of the single emirate of Kano.

“In between that period, we did not have a single emirate. We had five balkanised emirates and this was an injustice to the history of Kano. It was an attack on our history, our culture, on our traditions, and it was an act of betrayal to our family.

“We thank Allah that today, the emirate has been unified again, its people have been brought together, that an injustice has been corrected because as you know, I was dethroned on an allegation of insubordination which was never specified.

“I was never given an opportunity to defend myself but I have never spoken about it because I’ve always assumed that when the time is up, it’s up. Today, I thank God that God has remained as we know, a faithful God who stands by justice.

“I would also like to express my thanks to his excellency Alhaji Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu without whose principled stance of non-interference in the internal affairs of the state, this would not have been possible.

“The president has shown that he is a respecter of the constitution and the separation of powers, he recognises that this is a purely local matter and that the government has a responsibility to do what is right for the state.

“I’m aware that he has resisted all pressure to get the federal government to be involved.

“This for me is a continuation of service that I started, it is also an opportunity God has given me to improve on my previous tenure.

“We all learn from our mistakes and it is our responsibility to improve on the things we did well and avoid those things we did not do well. Life is a continuous learning process. I’ve enjoyed the break of the last four years.”