Are Kano’s second-class emirates here to stay?

When former governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje was asked about the future of his newly created emirates after his party had lost the 2023 governorship election to his arch-rival, NNPP’s Abba Kabir Yusuf, he said the emirates would remain till eternity (rendered in Hausa: Mahdi ka ture) but they all crashed on May 23, 2024, after Governor Yusuf signed into law the Kano Emirates Council (Repeal) Bill 2024.

It was not the first time that newly created emirates would fall like a pack of cards, or revert to their old statuses, in the history of Kano.

On April 1, 1981, the governor of Old Kano state, Muhammadu Abubakar Rimi, exercising an executive fiat, created four new emirates of Gaya, Rano, Dutse and Auyo, an action viewed as deliberately executed to cut down the powers and influence of the then emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero. Before then, Kano had three second-class emirs of Hadejia, Gumel and Kazaure. Rimi not only created new emirates, he also upgraded the status of the second-class emirs to first class.

Rimi’s new emirates also came crashing when PRP’s Alhaji Sabo Bakin Zuwo, who defeated him in the 1983 governorship election, reversed the creation on assumption of office on October 1.

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The dissolution and the recreation of the new emirates by the  NNPP administration has therefore opened a new vista in Kano’s history.

The Kano State House of Assembly had on July 15, passed the Kano Emirates Council Establishment bill 2024 creating 2nd class emirs of Rano, Gaya and Karaye emirates that were dissolved by the Kano Emirates Council (Repeal) Law 2024.

The same day Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf gave his assent and subsequently appointed Alhaji Muhammad Maharaz as Emir of Karaye, and Alhaji Muhammad Isa Umar as Emir of Rano.

The deposed Emir of Rano, Alhaji Aliyu Ibrahim Abdulkadir, was reappointed as second-class emir of Gaya. Unlike other deposed emirs, he openly accepted his fate and expressed willingness to serve in any capacity the government deemed fit. No surprise he returned to his throne, though not as first class emir.

Regardless of their status, the three second-class emirs are made answerable to the Emir of Kano who enjoys first-class status and who shall be given advice on matters relating to the maintenance of public order, boundary dispute between two or more communities and religious affairs in the new emirs’ areas of jurisdiction.

While Rano Emirate has three local governments of Rano, Kibiya and Bunkure, Gaya Emirate consists of Gaya, Ajingi and Albasu local governments. Both emirates control nine local government areas under the repealed law, seen by many as an overkill. Karaye Emirate has just Karaye and Rogo local governments as its area of jurisdiction. Eight local government areas were previously placed under its grip.

Bichi Emirate was, however, demoted to its previous district status with Barden Kano Idris Bayero restored as district head. Governor Yusuf justified this, saying Bichi has always been ruled by a Kano prince as district head in the historical past and “the history cannot be changed overnight”.

Section 7 of the law empowers the governor to appoint any suitable person as second class emir pursuant to the provision of section 4 of the same law.

All appointments and activities of the emirs, including the emir of Kano, shall be subject to the approval of the state governor through the commissioner for local governments.

Commenting on the new Kano Emirates Council establishment law, a legal practitioner and public affairs commentator, Umar Danbaito, said contrary to the assumption that the new emirates could be voided and nullified due to some legal lacuna, the pending legal suit instituted by Aminu Babba Danagundi has nothing to do with the new emirates.

“My understanding is that the state house of assembly acted within the ambit of our laws and the governor also exercised his powers accordingly. There is no order stopping the assembly or the governor from performing their legislative and executive functions. The status quo order of the federal high court has no bearing on the instant law,” Danbaito said.

Nonetheless, the drama that played out penultimate week, when Emir Muhammad Sanusi’s emissaries who arrived  Karaye and Rano palaces to take control of the emirates pending appointment of new occupants of the thrones but were chased away by angry residents, suggests that people of the emirates were bitter with the dissolution of the emirates.

But as soon as the emirates were recreated last week, the newly appointed emirs were not only welcomed but celebrated in their respective domains.

For instance, hundreds of people in Karaye converged on the palace on July 17 to welcome Emir Muhammad Sanusi Maharaz who came to the palace in the company of the speaker of the state house of assembly, Ismail Falgore, an NNPP lawmaker from Rogo.

The speaker urged the people to support and cooperate with their new emir to drive maximum benefits from his vast experience as a public administrator and seasoned educationist.

Emir Maharaz, who until his appointment as emir, was a prince and Wamban Karaye and District Head of Rogo, pledged his commitment to unite and uplift the lives of his subjects and turn around the socio-economic fortunes of the emirate.

The information officer of the emirate Haruna Bala Muhammad Gunduwawa, said apart from the speaker, the member representing Karaye State Constituency, Engineer Ahmed Ibrahim, as well as the interim management officer of Karaye, Alhaji Wada Nababa Tudun Kaya and that of Madobi, Rimin Gado and Kiru Local government councils, accompanied the emir to the palace.

It was, however, gathered that some people in the emirate were not happy with the second-class status given to the emirate and the way the emir paid homage and prostrated before the Emir of Kano like every other district head.

Similarly, the Emir of Rano Muhammad Isah Umar, was warmly received by the people when he entered the palace after his appointment. Umar was a prince and district head of Bunkure when he was appointed emir and therefore not a new face or a stranger to the palace in Rano.

The Member representing Rano State Constituency in the assembly, Muhammad Ibrahim, accompanied the emir. He hailed the appointment and the restoration of the emirate which, according to him, is older than Kano Emirate itself.

In Gaya, it was a homecoming for the reinstated Emir Alhaji Aliyu Ibrahim Abdulkadir where an overwhelming crowd thronged the palace to welcome him back home on Friday, according to the emirate’s public relations officer, Awwal Musa Yola.

The emir later attended the Friday congregational prayer.

However, disappointment and disenchantment rented the air in Bichi which was reverted to a district, an action seen as demotion by many residents.

The Secretary of Bichi Emirate People’s Forum (Inuwar Jama’ar Masarautar Bichi), Engineer Bello Gambo Bichi, told Daily Trust that they were surprised when Bichi emirate was not restored like others, saying the development is a temporary setback.

“Honestly it is a sad commentary and did not come to us as good news. We approached the assembly when they were about to enact the law that dissolved the emirate to spare our own emirate because it brought about development. You can go to Bichi and see for yourself.

“During the last Sallah, there was no excitement or entertainment in Bichi like before. I just pity the people because we no longer see the crowds even during Friday congregation in Bichi,” the forum’s secretary said.

He said Bichi emirate has attracted foreign investment of about 50 million dollars in cotton production in addition to the training of youths on groundnut farming.

According to him,  Bauchi State, though not as populous as Kano, has at least five emirs – Bauchi, Katagum, Jama’are, Ningi and Misau—and wondered why Kano State with 44 local government areas would only have four emirs.

The secretary noted that the dissolution and the recreation of emirates minus Bichi is because of one individual, noting, however, that it is a temporary development.

“What it means is that any governor that comes would also appoint his own emirs. We protested the dissolution of Bichi Emirate but the assembly did not oblige us. It is their time now, but soon they would come looking for people (votes).”

Gambo Bichi said the forum will continue to demand the creation of Ghari and Tiga states from Kano State to bring about development to their respective areas.

Many commentators believed that political motives triggered the dissolution of the new emirates in the first place. They are convinced that political expediency could be the reason for the second creation, but if the remarks of the politicians and other stakeholders aligning their positions with the Kano Emirates Council establishment law are anything to go by, the new emirates in Kano have come to stay.