NEXT EMIR OF KANO: SANUSI LAMIDO, KANO GOVERNOR, 2 OTHERS TOP CHOICES

Appointing a successor to the emir of Kano’s throne will, no doubt, be an herculean task. It is not clear as at press time who, among the many con­tenders, will clinch it at the end of the day.

What is, however, certain is that Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso holds the ace. An­other certainty is that the name of the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Mal­lam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, will no doubt feature among the list of the three nominees that would be short-listed by the kingmak­ers and forwarded to the gover­nor, from which he is expected to choose one.

As at press time, four names featured prominently among the likely successors. They are: the later emir’s eldest son, who is the Ciroman Kano, Sanusi Ado Bayero, Abbas Sanusi, who is a senior Councillor in the emirate and also the Wambai Kano, Tij­jani Hashim, who is the Galadima Kano and Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the Dan Maje Kano.

Sanusi Ado Bayero: He is the eldest son of the late emir and he is also a District head. The im­mediate family, and friends of his late father within the government and outside of it, would want him to succeed the father, so that the stool will remain within the im­mediate family. The mere fact that he is a district head, is a plus for him, as he would have familiar­ised himself with palace intrigues and politics, including how to deal with and handle other sundry is­sues associated with traditional institution. He has no problem with the governor. He is highly favoured and age is equally on his side.

Abbas Sanusi: He is Sanusi Lamido Sanusi’s nephew. He is a senior councillor in the emirate and he is very close to the gover­nor. He attends most government functions as the representative of the late emir, putting on red gown, to identify with the Kwankwaso’s government. But probably be­cause of his age, it would have been safe to conclude that he is the emir-in-waiting. However, anything could still happen, con­sidering that every government would want its sympathiser to oc­cupy such a sensitive position.

Tijjani Hashim: He is the Galadima Kano. He is Vice Presi­dent Namadi Sambo’s benefactor. If Kwankwaso and the presidency were to be operating on the same page, it probably would have put in a word or two for him. But like the Wambai Kano, age too is not on his side.

Sanusi Lamido Sanusi: He is the former CBN governor and a very close confidant of Kwank­waso. He has everything going for him, except the fact that he has never been a district head. As a nephew to Abbas Sanusi, the elder Sanusi won’t mind conceeding it to the former CBN governor, since they are from the same line­age. And they are both very close to Kwankwaso.

As CBN governor then, he as­sisted Kano State with a lot of in­tervention funds. This may, there­fore, just be a pay-back time for him. Besides, Kano may want to use his appointment to spite Presi­dent Goodluck Jonathan. And be­cause Kwankwaso now needs an emir who is fearless and who may likely queue behind him in his war against the federal govern­ment, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, may just fit the bill.