Protesters in Abuja called on President Tinubu to intervene over Kano's emirate crisis. They accused the governor of abusing power by reinstating Muhammad Sanusi as sole emir after dissolving other traditional councils.
Hundreds of protesters descended on the Presidential Villa and National Assembly buildings in Nigeria's capital on Friday, urging President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the escalating crisis over the Kano Emirate.
The protesters, under the banner of Concerned Patriots of Nigeria, marched peacefully carrying banners expressing concerns about the situation in Kano state. They accused the state's governor Abba Yusuf of abusing his powers by dissolving the five Emirates Council and unilaterally reinstating Muhammadu Sanusi II as the sole Emir of Kano.
"Governor Abba Yusuf has taken his abuse of office to another level by dissolving the traditional council," said Abdullahi Muhammed Saleh, the group's coordinator. "This latest stunt of sacking five emirs to install his acolyte was achieved by manipulating the Kano State House of Assembly."
Saleh alleged that Yusuf has overstepped his authority, undermining democratic institutions, traditional structures, and the constitutional separation of powers through his actions.
The protesters urged Tinubu to use his position to resolve the crisis and restore peace and stability in Kano, warning that the situation could deteriorate further without urgent intervention from the presidency.
"We are counting on [Tinubu's] leadership to find a lasting solution to the crisis and ensure peace returns to Kano State," Saleh stated.
The protests come just days after Yusuf signed a law repealing the Kano State Emirate Council, which had created four additional emirates during the tenure of his predecessor Abdullahi Ganduje. Sanusi, a former central bank governor, was the emir of Kano until being dethroned by Ganduje in 2020 after a power struggle.
