Sola
Former Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, has returned to the ancient city, days after he was removed from the throne.
The whereabouts of Bayero, who until Thursday was the 15th Emir of the ancient city, had been unknown since his dismissal by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.
The governor had signed the Kano State Emirates Council (Amendment number 2) Bill, 2024, passed by the state House Assembly into law, effectively repealing a previous law signed by the then Governor Abdullahi Ganduje on December 5, 2019. That law had split the emirates into five, appointed Emirs for each, and deposed the 14th Emir of Kano, Sanusi Muhammed Sanusi II.
Upon signing the repealed Kano Emirates Council Law, Yusuf gave all the affected Emirs 48 hours to vacate their palaces and hand over to the Commissioner of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs. He then announced the reinstatement of Alhaji Sanusi as the 16th Emir of Kano.
Governor Yusuf issued a reappointment letter to Sanusi on Friday, and Sanusi led Jumat prayers at Government House, Kano.
In the early hours of Saturday, Ado Bayero returned to Kano to a crowd of supporters.
The aircraft carrying the former Emir touched down at Aminu Kano International Airport at 4:30 am.
He was immediately surrounded by supporters chanting a verse from Surah Al-Fatihah in the Holy Quran: “You (alone) we worship, and you (alone) we ask for help (for each and everything).” Others were saying, “God the Almighty will kill your enemies.”
The former Emir, dressed in royal regalia, did not respond to the crowd. He later observed Subhi (dawn prayer) at the airport.
