Kano Deputy Gov Visits Emir Bayero’s Palace Amid Ongoing Emirship Dispute

Kano State Deputy Governor Sule Garo attended the annual Maulud of Sheikh Ahmad Tijjani at the palace of the 15th Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, on Sunday.

According to Ireporter Online, the religious gathering attracted Islamic scholars, members of the Tijjaniyya sect and worshippers from Kano and neighbouring states.

Garo’s presence at the event attracted attention against the backdrop of the ongoing emirship dispute involving Bayero and the 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II.

The Kano State Government, led by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, recognises Sanusi as the emir, while Bayero continues to maintain a separate royal establishment amid the prolonged legal and political dispute over the Kano throne.

Sanusi was reinstated by the Yusuf administration in May 2024 after the state government repealed the law that had established five emirates across the state.

The five-emirate arrangement was introduced during the administration of former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, dividing the traditional Kano Emirate into Kano, Bichi, Gaya, Karaye and Rano.

Bayero was subsequently appointed Emir of Kano under Ganduje after Sanusi was removed from the throne.

Following Sanusi’s reinstatement, the state government directed Bayero to vacate the Nasarawa Palace. The directive, however, became part of the wider legal and political dispute surrounding the emirship.

The prolonged crisis has resulted in parallel royal establishments, with both camps continuing to attract supporters and host traditional and religious gatherings.

Sunday’s Maulud came shortly after Sanusi presided over the solemnisation of 1,500 marriages under the Kano State Government’s Auren Gata mass wedding initiative.

During the central ceremony held at the Emir’s Palace mosque on Friday, Sanusi represented the brides while Governor Yusuf represented the grooms.

The state government said approximately ₦1.5 billion was committed to the programme, which was supervised by the Kano State Hisbah Board as part of the administration’s social intervention efforts.

The Tijjaniyya Maulud was eventually held at Bayero’s palace after organisers reportedly failed to obtain timely approval to use the Sani Abacha Stadium.

A participant from Zaria, Kaduna State, Ahmad Abdulkadir, said the Supreme Council of the Tijjaniyya sect had applied for permission to use the stadium roughly two weeks before the event.

He expressed satisfaction that the gathering eventually took place, describing the turnout as impressive, but questioned why approval for the stadium was delayed.

Another attendee from Bauchi State, Abdulazeez Shehu, also described the turnout as encouraging, saying it demonstrated the importance attached to the annual religious gathering.

A Kano resident, Ilyasu Idris, similarly praised the large attendance and said the venue controversy should not overshadow the religious purpose of the event.

Meanwhile, Bayero’s spokesman, Abubakar Balarabe Kofar Na’isa, said Deputy Governor Garo attended the Maulud as Governor Yusuf’s representative.

He explained that the deputy governor was accompanied by political associates rather than government officials.

Kofar Na’isa also confirmed that the organisers had written to relevant state government officials seeking permission to use the stadium but did not receive a timely response.

According to him, approval was eventually granted on the eve of the event, by which time organisers had decided to hold the gathering at Bayero’s palace.

The Maulud also attracted several prominent figures, including Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume, who attended as President Bola Tinubu’s representative.

Former Jigawa State Governor Saminu Turaki and former Kano State Governor Kabiru Gaya were among other dignitaries present at the gathering.