It is no longer news that the 14th Emir of Kano from the Fulani Sullubawa clan, Muhammad Sanusi II, has been dethroned on grounds of ‘disrespect and insubordination’. Sanusi Lamido ascended the throne in 2014 and we certainly will not forget how he defiantly rooted for the advancement of girl-child education and condemnation of child brides, especially on northern grounds. On several occasions, he admonished other Northern Governors on prevalent issues affecting proper development of girls and even urged them to make education free for all girls up to secondary school level. All of these made him stand out, not because he added his voice to advocate for an end to child brides, we all do, right? Like the voice crying out in the wilderness, Sanusi Lamido, who held the second most important Muslim position in Nigeria, notably walked through turbulent waters by vehemently opposing child marriage quite peculiar to the Muslim Ummah. Can you see what he did there?

Reckoned as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME Magazine (2011), Sanusi Lamido earned good records in the banking industry, as we recall that he served as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from 2009-2014.

If you are in tune with the political hullabaloo in Nigeria, the dethronement of Sanusi Lamido would not have knocked your socks off. It had been brewing for a long time. Muhammad Sanusi II was uncrowned under the administration of his ‘good friend’, Abdullahi Ganduje, Governor of Kano State. A press release signed by Alhaji Usman Alhaji, Secretary to Kano State Government, gave the reason for the removal thus:

The Emir of Kano is in total disrespect to lawful instructions from the Office of the State Governor and other lawful authorities, including his persistent refusal to attend official meetings and programmes organised by the Government without any lawful justification which amount to total insubordination.

Critically analysing the reason for the removal of the former First Class Traditional Ruler, ‘ínsubordination’ as it were, is not a crime defined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria ( as amended). According to eyewitnesses, Governor Ganduje personally accused Sanusi of disrespect and insubordination to constituted authority and some minutes thereafter, Ganduje declared his dethronement.  By this act, Ganduje wore the hats of the accuser, prosecutor, witness and the judge, all at the same time. Truly a jack of all trades and indeed, a master of all. Concerned Nigerians and members of the international community are of the view that the fundamental human right of fair hearing as enshrined in Section 36 CFRN was denied the former Emir. Shedding some light on the element of banishment, it is appalling to see that the right to personal liberty and right to freedom of movement as provided in Section 35 and Section 41 CFRN respectively, is so desecrated in broad daylight. No Governor, I repeat, No Governor in a democracy is powerful enough to deprive a Nigerian citizen of freedom of movement more so, limiting it to a certain locus. This is not my opinion, the law is crystal clear on this. This current situation is on all fours with the recent case around the Gwandu stoolship of Kebbi State where the deposed Emir of Gwandu, Alhaji Mustapha Jokolo  was also banished from Kebbi. The Court of Appeal ruled that Jokolo was unlawfully dethroned and denied his fundamental human rights and the Court further ordered his reinstatement as Emir and payment of all his entitlements in arrears.

A surprising turn of events unraveled about 24hours after the deposed Emir ‘accepted fate’ in his press statement. He was appointed as the Vice-Chairman of Kaduna Investment and Promotion Agency (KADIPA) with intention to tap from the wealth of knowledge and experience of a seasoned economist. Yet another 24 hours barely passed and he assumed the seat of the Chancellor of Kaduna State University (KASU). Just like Joseph of the Holy Bible, it seems that the rejected stone is gradually becoming the cornerstone.

In a fair sense, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi can be safely referred to as a forthright model of a traditional ruler. It is not easy to predict the turn of events for Sanusi in the coming days, but the law is on his side. At this point, it is important to reiterate the decision of the classic case of Fawehinmi v. Akilu [1987] 4 NWLR (Pt. 67) 797 in tandem with Fundamental Rights Enforcement Procedure Rules 2009 and specifically Section 46(3) CFRN which echoes “…The universal concept that all human beings are brothers’ assets to one another.” Should he decide to let go without a fight, you as a concerned citizen, yes you, can institute an action for enforcement of his fundamental human rights. A little bird said that all of these events might just be in the plan of action to activate Sanusi Lamido’s presidential campaign for 2023. Could it be that this ‘Joseph’ is already on his way to the Promised Land?

Featured image credit: pulse.ng