President Muhammadu Buhari would appear to have endorsed the dethronement of the Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, on Monday by the Governor of Kano State, Dr. Umar Abdullahi Ganduje. This perception may not be unconnected with the acknowledgment of the powers of governors in Nigeria by a media aide to the president to dethrone traditional rulers in the same manner they offer them staff of office to the royal throne. The president did not, however, consider the circumstance such action is being taken by the Kano State governor, Ganduje.
Tolu Ogunlesi, Special Assistant to the President on New Media, was said to have declared: “A sitting governor can dethrone anybody – they have the power. That is the way the system is set up. Nobody is above being dethroned. Governors formally appoint them, present them the staff of office and fund their offices”.
The presidential New Media SA had stated governors have veto powers over monarchs in their states. He was said to have recall that Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State once “paraded traditional rulers recently in Rivers and addressed them like a kindergarten class;” he maintained: “that is the power a governor has over royal institutions. Every governor; It actually didn’t start today, it has been so for a long time”.
The Special Assistant to the President on New Media was repeated to have also said that the dethronement of a monarch in the capacity of the Emir of Kano was not new, saying that Sanusi’s fate was not only peculiar to the northern part of the country.
Ogunlesi had in serial of tweets, said: “British deposed Obas of Lagos/Benin 1851/1897; Alake temporarily deposed by 1948 women’s riots; Awo deposed Alaafin 1955; Olowo deposed 1966; Edo Milad tried to remove Oba of Benin as Chair, State Trad Rulers Council 1999; Deji of Akure deposed 2010,”.
He, therefore, insisted that governors could exercise powers over royal institutions within their jurisdiction.
Meanwhile, a group has sent a petition to President Buhari, protesting the dethronement of Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, by Governor Umar Ganduje on Monday.
National Daily will bring you details of the petition in subsequent report.