Ahead of the forthcoming Eid-el-Fitr, there are genuine concerns about the possibility of a crisis in Kano over plans by Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II and Aminu Ado Bayero’to host durbar, the traditional Sallah celebration marked by colourful display of horse-riding. The two have concluded plans to hold the traditional Hawan Sallah, Hawan Daushe, and Hawan Nassarawa processions, respectively. Already, there are genuine concerns that allowing these parallel Durbars to hold will be a recipe for crisis. How did we get to this level? Well, we are here simply because of politicians’ interference in who emerges as a traditional ruler. I made this observation in my column entitled, Goodbye To Royalty, which I reproduced hereunder verbatim.
One of the wonders of the Nigerian state is how the nation graduated from having a traditional institution that commands the respect of many and plays a strategic role as custodian of the people’s cherished culture to the current stage where the institution has lost relevance.
If things continue unabated at the current pace, we will soon reach a point where many people, if called upon to ascend the throne of their forefathers as traditional rulers, will pay no heed to the call. The reason is that there is a gradual but steady erosion of the status of traditional rulers and, indeed, the traditional institution.
Sadly, politicians are responsible for this erosion. They are the same people who created almost all the problems bedevilling this nation. They contributed significantly to the citizens’ loss of confidence in the courts, killed our healthcare and education, and destroyed numerous critical sectors. They have now turned their destructive tendencies to the traditional institution, where the onslaught has been on for a long time.
Four years ago, then Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, took traditional rulers in the state to the cleaners when, while addressing them on the occasion of the 112 quarterly meeting of the royal fathers, he ordered them to stand up and show their staff of office. He even threatened to depose any of them who attended public functions without it.
Referring to the office staff, Wike said, “It is not for you to put it in your bedroom or your shrine for those of you who worship different shrines. I cannot address you, and some of you are using your ordinary walking stick.”
The vintage Wike publicly embarrassed one of the traditional rulers whom he singled out for nodding his head while he (Wike) was talking. Pointing at the said traditional ruler, Wike roared, “Stop shaking your head. You are one of those causing problems. They gave you chieftaincy; you don’t know what to do with it.” He described the said traditional ruler as a very young man who was running errands.
Four years after Wike, intoxicated with power, embarrassed the Rivers State traditional rulers, the events playing out in Kano have further confirmed that politics and politicians have completely debased this hitherto revered institution.
Like soap opera
Nobody imagined that a time would come when the nation would wake up to two people laying claims to the Emir of Kano stool. Well, right here and now, we are watching it like a soap opera, with court orders flying in different directions.
The two brothers laying claims to the throne are holding courts in two different ‘palaces’. The Kano Emirship has never been so debased. And it is certain that regardless of how this drama plays out, it will take a very long time for the Kano Emirate to regain the lost glory if at all it ever will.
It is bewildering that both Emirs Muhammadu Sanusi II and Aminu Ado Bayero have remained unrelenting in laying claims to being the authentic owner of the stool. In the midst of this confusion, the courts have made matters worse. There are currently two conflicting orders issued by the State and Federal High Courts. While the order of the state High Court recognises Sanusi, that of the Federal High Court recognises Bayero. And one wonders if this is not a deliberate attempt to further weaken the Kano Emir stool.
Since both the Federal High Court and the State High Court are courts of coordinate jurisdiction with the same level of authority, the two conflicting orders are valid until set aside by the Court of Appeal. While Kano people wait for the appellate court verdict, the highly revered Kano Emir stool is further being debased. This is the sad truth about the current mess playing out in Kano.
Regardless of when and how the curtains will fall, it is doubtful if the Kano Emirate will ever regain its lost glory. The scariest thing about what is playing out in the state is that if it can happen in an emirate with a longstanding and highly respected history like the Kano, then we can only imagine the fate that will eventually befall other far smaller and relatively unknown traditional stools. Sad, but it is what it is.
If Governor Wike treated the Rivers State traditional rulers with disdain, the political class in Kano have done nothing less to the stool of Kano Emir. In fact, the politicians in Kano have successfully nailed the coffin of Kano Emirate, and there are clear reasons to believe that things will never be the same again.
Puppets as Kings
But how did we get to this level? Why is royalty being stripped, debased and devalued almost on a daily basis? How come the elders have refused to lend their voice of reason so as to help salvage royalty by addressing this embarrassing situation which, though happening in Kano, has very far-reaching implication on the traditional institution across the nation?
It is crystal clear that just the way they killed the judiciary, health, education and other critical sectors of this country, the politicians have, with the tacit support of some greedy monarchs and princes, killed royalty. Things will never be the same again.
Exploiting the lacuna in our laws to their advantage, most governors allow politics and political considerations to take precedence in appointing traditional rulers.
Essentially, one way the politicians used in killing royalty is through the appointment of their puppets as kings. It is common to see governors jettison the choice of kingmakers who are statutorily saddled with the responsibility of electing who emerges as a King, Emir, Oba or whatever name so-called, purely on political consideration. Majority of the chieftaincy-related litigations in courts today are occasioned by the blatant disregard for procedure of nomination and appointment.
Having rigged the process to force the emergence of their puppets who oftentimes are not suitable for the revered stool, the governors then display scant or no regards for the traditional rulers. It is always a matter of ‘you wouldn’t have been without me; therefore, keep quiet’.
Of course, most traditional rulers who emerged through such a rigged process- and we have manyof them —then felt obliged to be subservient to either the governors or their political cronies who engineered their emergence. What we face today are direct results of political interference in the emergence of monarchs.
The ongoing simmering crisis in Kano emirate is so because our politicians allow politics to trump every other consideration in their handling of chieftaincy issues. They are getting away with this because the traditional rulers and other prominent elders who should talk have elected to either remain silent or covertly take sides.
They killed education and deprived us of functional learning and teaching. They killed healthcare delivery and made it impossible for us to access functional healthcare. They killed agriculture and made it difficult for the nation to feed itself. They are now killing royalty. We will soon realise that the only thing viable is politics. That, too, will be no more, and then we will have nothing left simply because we all elect to remain silent.
We must insulate royalty from politics and return to the good old days when the monarchy was highly respected and allowed to play its strategic role! Until that is done, we may well kiss goodbye to the traditional institution.
Note: This column, slightly adjusted, was first published on 9th May 2024
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