TheCable

Salihu Tanko-Yakasai, spokesman to Abdullahi Ganduje, governor of Kano state, says security operatives ejected Muhammadu Sanusi from the palace because he was unwilling to leave after his dethronement.

The Kano executive council chaired by Abdullahi Ganduje, the governor, removed Sanusi as emir of Kano on Monday “for disrespecting the office of the governor”.

Aminu Ado Bayero was later announced as his successor.

Speaking on Sunrise Daily, a programme on Channels Television, on Tuesday, Tanko-Yakasai said Sanusi was offered to be treated better but his delay at the palace made the government involve security agencies.

“He was offered to be handled better, I think they wanted it to be a quiet thing. That is the standard, that is the law. A deposed emir has to leave the state. That is what has happened in the past in situations,” he said.

“I don’t know what happened in the palace that caused the delay. The emir wasn’t, at the initial stage, willing to leave the palace. That was why we saw involvement of the security forces. If he had gone willingly, I don’t think we would have seen such reactions from the security personnel.

“So, the situation was, even though, it was initially tensed but as you can see, Kano now is very peaceful. Since yesterday, everybody is going along with their business. This is here to stay God willing.”

He described Ganduje as a governor who is very accommodating, saying he took a lot from the deposed emir and only issued him one query.

“One of the things that we as a government are battling with is that a lot of the things the emir did are things that are not on record to present as proof for the world to see,” he said.

“The governor is very accommodating. I can tell you that in four years that he has been governor, he has only issued one query to emir Sanusi but the few years that emir Sanusi was with the former governor of Kano state, Rabiu Kwankwaso, he was issued between three to four queries.

“If Ganduje can accommodate all the things coming from the deposed emir and just issue one query, then that means he is a very tolerant governor.”

He added that Ganduje made himself accessible to all, including the former emir, but Sanusi would rather openly criticise the governor instead of going to him offering his advice.

“The problem is not about being heard because the governor had made himself available to the emir,” he said.

“That anybody that is willing to come and advise and several occasions, the governor has been able to take this advice into consideration. So that means the emir had access to come and advise the governor if he wanted to but unfortunately, he only finds podiums and stages as the only means to advise the governor which is not right.

“The fact remains that no one will allow such disrespect and open criticisms.”