Abuja, Nigeria – Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has issued a stern warning to the Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government, stating that it will be held responsible if violence erupts in Kano State over the ongoing emirate crisis.
Atiku’s warning comes after the controversial deposition of the Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, by Governor Abba Yusuf, who subsequently reinstated Lamido Sanusi as the 15th Emir of Kano. The federal government’s move to provide security for the deposed Bayero has sparked concerns about potential unrest.
In a statement posted on X, Atiku accused the Tinubu administration of inviting anarchy to Kano by supporting Bayero’s return to the Nasarawa Palace with federal security backing. He argued that the government’s actions undermine the constitutional powers of the state governor and threaten the peace and security of the region.
“The action of the Federal Government in deploying soldiers in Kano in the tussle over the throne of the ancient city is an upset to the peace and security of the state, and also in breach of the 1999 Constitution as Amended,” Atiku stated.
He emphasized that Governor Yusuf’s actions were legally sanctioned and followed due consultation with Kano’s kingmakers. Atiku condemned the early morning return of Bayero to the palace, asserting it could not have occurred without federal support, thus breaching constitutional protocols and threatening the state’s stability.
“We need to remind the Tinubu administration that Kano State is known for peace and harmony spanning thousands of years and any attempt to destabilize the peace of the Land of Commerce shall be resisted,” Atiku warned, highlighting the state’s peaceful transition after Sanusi’s dethronement in March 2020.
Atiku concluded by stating that any breakdown of law and order in Kano, particularly in the Kano Municipal, should be attributed to the federal government’s actions. He stressed that providing security cover to the former Emir, Bayero, was an “invitation to anarchy.”
As tensions rise, the situation in Kano remains delicate, with stakeholders calling for calm and adherence to constitutional processes to avoid escalating the crisis.
