The supporters of Sanusi Ado Bayero, the son of the late Emir of Kano, who was defeated by Sanusi Lamido Sanusi to emerge the Emir of the ancient city, yesterday took to the streets to protest the rejection of their preferred candidate.
A resident of the town, Ibrahim Hamisu, said that the protesters set up bonfires using tyres around the Emirs’ palace.
He also said another group of protesters, who were marching to the Government House, were stopped by armed soldiers and policemen who formed a barricade to stop them from getting near the seat of government.
Another resident, Bala Usman, said the protesters were also destroying all government properties in sight.
The Secretary to the Government of Kano State, Rabi’u Bichi, had earlier announced the selection of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as the new emir of Kano following his recommendation by the kingmakers and approval by Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Bichi made the brief announcement at Government House, Kano, yesterday.
He disclosed that the government chose Sanusi’s out of three candidates forwarded to him by Kano kingmakers.
“Under state customary law, the kingmakers comprising the Madaki, Sarkin Bai, Makaman and Sarkin Dawaki Maituta had sat down and forwarded three names to the government to choose the one that will succeed the Late Emir Ado Abdullahi Bayero.
“Out of these three names the government has approved Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the Dan Majen Kano, and former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, as the new emir of Kano,” the SSG said.
The SSG was accompanied to the briefing by the kingmakers which include the Sarkin Dawaki Maituta, Bello Abubakar; the Sarkin Bai, Mukhtar Adnan; the Makama, Sarki Ibrahim and the Madaki, Yusuf Nabahani Ibrahim.
The state commissioners of information and state affairs, Abubakar Danburam and Aminu Abdulsalam were also in attendance.
A source at the Emirate council said the supporters of Mr. Bayero were protesting because they felt shortchanged.
“Earlier in the day, message came to the Prince while he was at the palace receiving condolences that he needed to go and get set for turbanning in case he was the one selected, so, many of his supporters followed him to his private residence and most of them assumed that he must have been selected since he was getting set for turbanning,” our source said.
“Unknown to many, both nominees were required to be ready whether they will eventually be selected or not, but many misconstrued the order and were shocked when Sanusi Lamido was eventually announced and they are the ones protesting now.”
Meanwhile, a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasir El-Rufai, yesterday jeered at associates of President Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party over the appointment of a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Lamido Sanusi, as the new emir of the powerful Kano emirate.
“Alhamdulillah. The best man has won,” Mr. El-Rufai said on his twitter handle at about 4:45 p.m., moments after the Kano state Government named Mr. Sanusi the successor to Emir Ado Bayero who died on Friday.
“SLS (Sanusi Lamido Sanusi) is the Emir of Kano. Jonathanians can go jump into the lagoon.”
El-Rufai had in a post on his Facebook page an hour earlier (before the official announcement was made) carpeted the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party for prematurely congratulating Mr. Sanusi’s rival, Sunusi Ado Bayero, as the new emir even when a successor to the late Ado Bayero had not been named.
“The PDP out of fear and hatred of my brother SLS (Sanusi Lamido Sanusi) began circulating the falsehood that someone else had been appointed Emir of Kano,” Mr. El-Rufai fumed.
“Then they congratulated the Emir that had not been selected by the constituted authority. Earlier, they had enlisted several PDP sympathiser-traditional rulers to put pressure on Governor Kwankawaso to discourage him from selecting SLS, who was recommended on merit among the aspirants by the kingmakers.
“May the Almighty Allah Guide Governor Kwankwaso in choosing a wise and honest leader that will build on the legacy of Late Ado Bayero. In my opinion, that person is my brother SLS. But that is my opinion only which I am entitled.
“They have now withdrawn their false and contrived congratulations. PDP represents all that is evil and wrong about our nation. May Allah separate Nigeria from this evil, divisive and poverty-inducing party.”
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had yesterday disassociated itself from a congratulatory message the party sent out with reference to the initial false and unverified news that Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Ado Bayero emerged as the new Emir of Kano.
Special Assistant to the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, Mr. Richard Ihediwa had issued a congratulatory message on behalf of his boss and the PDP after it was learnt that Sanusi L. A. Bayero had been announced as the new Emir.
But the news, however, turned out to be false as the former CBN governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi was actually declared the Emir of Kano by the kingmakers of the emirate.
Distancing himself from the message, Metuh described it as an “embarrassment” and without approval.

Sanusi Lamido Sanusi As New Emir Of Kano.