The embattled emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi, has apologised to Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State over his utterances against the governor.
Mr Sanusi tendered the apology at a meeting organised by six Northern governors in Kaduna to save the emir from imminent deposition.
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Although inside sources said the emir had committed “cumulative offenses”, the controversial monarch drew the ire of the governor on April 5, in Kaduna when he faulted the governor’s premier project, the $1.85 million light rail project, saying it was a misplacement of priority.
The Kaduna meeting, which was held at Government House on Friday night, was attended by Governors Kashim Shettima of Borno, Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano, Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna, Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto, Abubakar Bello of Niger and Aminu Masari of Katsina States.
Also in attendance were the Secretary to the Kano State Government, Usman Alhaji, Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi and Walin Kano, Mahe Wali.
One of the governors who attended the meeting told DAILY NIGERIAN on phone that the meeting was fruitful. He, however, did not elaborate on the details of the meeting.
But some inside sources who preferred not to be named told DAILY NIGERIAN that speaker after speaker took turn to fault the emir for his open criticism of the governor as well as “disrespecting the governor”.
While personally responding to the charge, sources said Mr Sanusi admitted his mistakes and apologised to the governor. “I am still learning,” Mr Sanusi began. “But I have learnt from this mistake. I apologize to you my governor for the embarrassment and inconveniences my remarks might have caused you,” he added.
In his response, Mr Ganduje, citing examples of the emir’s “cumulative offences”, said he has personally forgiven him but would never stop the ongoing probe of the emirate’s accounts by the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission.
According to the source, efforts to persuade the governor to halt the ongoing probe were unsuccessful as the governor stood his ground.
Earlier before the Kaduna meeting, Mr Ganduje had summoned his top aides and loyalists to brainstorm ahead of the Kaduna meeting.
Present at the meeting were the Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Alhassan Doguwa; the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly, Kawu Sumaila; the Secretary to the Kano State Government, Usman Alhaji; the commissioner of Local Government, Murtala Sule-Garo; the commissioner of Environment, Ali Bukar Makoda; the state party chairman, Abdullahi Abbas.
DAILY NIGERIAN gathered that all the participants at the Abuja meeting supported the idea of deposing the emir outright. “This is a political decision. If we leave him now, he will turn against us during election,” fumed a source who attended the Abuja meeting.
Although there is mounting pressure on the governor to spare the emir, some internal forces appeared determined to pressurise the governor to wield the big stick.