The Arewa Community in Southern Nigeria has called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the ongoing royal tussle in Kano to protect the traditional institution from further disgrace.
Musa Saidu, the Chairman of the community, made the plea during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.
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Saidu alleged that the crisis is politically motivated, driven by selfish interests that disregard the significant damage inflicted on the revered Kano Emirate. He emphasized that the turmoil does not serve the collective interests of the people of Kano State and fails to add value to the traditional institution.
“Kano is a political nerve of the country and President Tinubu needs the state for his second term in 2027, as such should not allow the current royal tussle to degenerate,” Saidu stated.
He described the deadlock surrounding the Kano Emirate stool as a major embarrassment to both the state and the nation. “It is a huge disrespect to law and order as well as the traditional institution. The frequent dethronement of emirs in the North by politicians over the last three decades is a symptom of the collapse of our cultural and traditional society,” he said.
Saidu expressed concern over President Tinubu’s silence regarding the issue, calling it “worrisome and wrong.” He cited former President Buhari’s establishment of a committee to mediate the dispute between Emir Sanusi and former Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje in 2020 as a precedent that should be followed.
He also urged both Emir Aminu Ado Bayero and Muhammadu Sanusi II to reflect on the damage the stalemate has caused to the traditional institution they represent. “Allah gives power to whoever He wishes and takes it whenever He wants, so let’s accept destiny in our lives,” he remarked.
Saidu further appealed to politicians to cease their divisive actions motivated by self-interest. In addition, he expressed support for the ongoing investigation into former Kaduna State Governor Nasiru El-Rufai, backing the intervention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“We support the investigation of El-Rufai’s government, and we support the EFCC intervention as well,” he stated. He commended the Kaduna State House of Assembly’s actions as commendable and suggested that democracy cannot thrive in a corrupt environment.
“El-Rufai is an advocate of transparency in governance; today is his turn to prove his innocence or otherwise. Don’t go to court, go and appear before the investigation committee and defend yourself,” Saidu advised.