11 district heads Monday evening shunned the order of Kano State governor Umar Ganduje to attend the annual Dubar celebration at Emir Mohammed Sanusi’s palace.
Their attendance at the celebration was in disobedience to Ganduje who had told them not to honour Sanusi’s invitation for the event.
Ganduje in a statement by his media aide Abba Anwar directed the district heads to decline Sanusi’s invitation.
He said only district heads under the jurisdiction of the Kano Emirate should attend the Hawan Daushe.
The governor asked district heads in the four new emirates created by his administration to observe the Durbar at their respective emirate capitals.
District heads that attended the Dubar are Madakin Kano Yusuf Nabahani of Dawakin Tofa, Dan Amar Aliyu Harizimi Umar of Doguwa, Dokaji Muhammadu Aliyu of Garko, Makama Sarki Ibrahim of Wudil, Sarkin Fulanin Ja’idinawa Buhari Muhammad of Garun Malam, and Barde Idris Bayero of Bichi.
Others were Sarkin Bai Mukhtar Adnan of Danbatta, Yarima Lamido Abubakar of Takai, Dan Isa Kabiru Hashim of Warawa, Dan Madami Ibrahim Hamza Bayero of Kiru, and Sarkin Dawaki Mai Tuta Bello Abubakar of Gabasawa.
Prior to Ganduje’s directive, Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II had invited district heads from all 44 local governments in Kano to attend the Hawan Daushe in Kano city.
However, Ganduje’s directive against Sanusi’s invitation may not be unconnected to the supposed feud between them.
Earlier this year, the state government split the Kano Emirate into five to reduce Sanusi’s influence as the paramount ruler of the Kano Emirate.
Although a state high court ruled against the creation of the emirates, Ganduje still went ahead to inaugurate the Emirs and said his action preceded the court order.
While the creation of the emirates appears to be an issue at hand, Kano State anti-graft agency accused Sanusi of corruption of about N3.4b.
A statement signed by the chairman of the anti-graft agency Muhuyi Magagi accused the embattled Sanusi of misappropriating the funds between 2014 and 2017.
The Kano State agency then called for the suspension of Emir Sanusi.
While the cause of the rift between Sanusi and Ganduje remains unknown, many suggested Sanusi had allegedly opposed Governor Ganduje’s reelection bid during the 2019 election.
