Uneasy calm in Zazzau as El-Rufai rejects kingmakers’ list

Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State has reportedly rejected the three candidates nominated by Zazzau kingmakers for the vacant stool in the emirate but chose a different candidate.

This has wrought uneasy calm in the emirate, as residents await the announcement of the new monarch.

The name of the governor’s favoured candidate, Amb. Nuhu Bamali, was missing in the kingmakers’ list, which probably made the governor insist that all the aspirants should be given the chance to contest.

Consequently, the initial shortlist of 11 names was sent to the governor to pick one as the new Emir of Zazzau.

The three candidates nominated by the kingmakers included the Yariman Zazzau, Munir Jaafaru, from the Bari Bari Ruling House; the Iyan Zazzau, Bashir Aminu, from Katsina Ruling House; and the eldest son of the immediate past emir, the Turakin Zazzau, Aminu Idris, also from Katsina Ruling House.

The Guardian, however, learnt that the governor was happy that two of the three candidates were from Katsina Ruling House.

On Tuesday, it was gathered that the governor had picked a new monarch from the list of 11, but had left for Abuja to brief President Muhammadu Buhari before the announcement is made.

As of yesterday, some Zazzau palace workers were anxiously awaiting the announcement of the crown prince, Alhaji Munir Jafaru, as the emir, but outside sources believe that the governor had picked his favourite, Bamali.

Jafaru was said to have been denied the throne when the late monarch, Idris, was crowned, as then 19-year-old Ja’afaru could not be crowned.