By Mario Deepromoter

There is a new move to dethrone Muhammad Sanusi II as the emir of Kano State.

According to sources within the Kofar Kudu Palace, powerful individuals in Kano, allegedly led by All Progressive Congress (APC) National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, are orchestrating the removal of the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor as the 16th Emir of Kano and Chairman of the Kano Council of Chiefs.

A well-placed source revealed that Ganduje’s primary objective is to secure President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s backing to oust Emir Sanusi, while also pressuring former Emir Aminu Ado Bayero to step down. This move is disguised as an attempt to resolve the state’s leadership disputes.

Ganduje, who previously clashed with Emir Sanusi, is said to have assembled a loyal coalition of Kano APC members, comprising influential politicians, business moguls, traders, and key stakeholders. Their ultimate goal is to persuade President Tinubu to intervene, allowing Ganduje to complete his long-standing mission to unseat Emir Sanusi.

This development is the latest in a series of attempts by Ganduje to undermine Emir Sanusi, dating back to 2020 when he played a pivotal role in the emir’s contentious deposition.

Ganduje’s strategy now involves leveraging presidential power to ensure Sanusi’s permanent removal and, surprisingly, urging Aminu Ado Bayero to step down as well, purportedly to pave the way for peace.

The Kano State Government has consistently recognized Emir Sanusi as the legitimate Emir, while powerful politicians and businessmen loyal to the APC and presidency have continued to acknowledge Aminu Ado Bayero as the Emir.

The source alleged that “Ganduje, alongside a coalition of Kano APC loyalists, has orchestrated this plan to assert full control over the emirate, a traditional institution that has long resisted his influence.

“The delegation, carefully selected for their loyalty to Ganduje, includes a prominent Kano business mogul, influential politicians, traders, and key stakeholders in the state’s political and business landscape.

“These individuals, all closely aligned with Ganduje, have rallied around his cause, advocating for the removal of both emirs under the guise of settling leadership tensions within the Kano Emirate.

“Their objective is bold and clear: to persuade President Tinubu to intervene, enabling Ganduje to complete his long-standing mission to unseat Emir Sanusi.

“While cloaked in the rhetoric of “restoring peace,” Ganduje’s true agenda is becoming increasingly evident—he seeks to leverage presidential power to oust Emir Sanusi, a figure he has repeatedly clashed with.

“This latest move is a continuation of Ganduje’s efforts to undermine Emir Sanusi, dating back to 2020 when he played a central role in the emir’s controversial deposition.

“Now, Ganduje is intent on using his political influence to finish what he started. His strategy involves seeking President Tinubu’s support to ensure Sanusi’s permanent removal and, in a surprising twist, urging the more compliant Aminu Ado Bayero to step down as well, supposedly to pave way for peace.

By Mario Deepromoter

The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Peter Obi on Tuesday led the leadership of the Labour Party and the Obidient Movement to Maiduguri, the Borno state capital to condole with the state over the flood disaster that befell the state recently.

Accompanied on the trip were the National Chairman of the Party’s caretaker, Senator Nenadi Usman, Obi’s running Mate in the 2023 polls Dr Datti Baba-Ahmad, the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Dr Yunusa Tanko and other leaders of the party.

The team made an initial donation of N50M to the emergency relief fund of the state Government.

They visited the state Governor, Babagana Zulum, His Highness the Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Ibn Umar Garba Al Amin El-Kanemi.

Additionally, the team also visited the Bank of the North spare parts market, where traders lost their goods, an IDP camp in Government College where they met thousands of people and also visited a woman who tragically lost her newborn twins to the flood.

The LP team told Borno people that the Labour Party is committed to supporting those affected by the devastating floods in Borno State. To demonstrate our solidarity, and made an initial donation of ₦50M to the state government. They pledged to do more, “We will continue to stand with the people of Borno, providing aid and resources to help them rebuild and recover from this tragedy.

“As the people of Borno navigate this challenging time, we want them to know they are not alone. We are dedicated to helping alleviate the suffering and hardship caused by the floods, which have submerged over half of Maiduguri and displaced thousands of residents. Our thoughts and prayers are with the affected families, and we will do everything in our power to support them.

“I thank the various levels of government, especially the Borno State government, for their interventions and support for the affected people.

“As we reflect on the immense loss and the daunting journey of recovery, may God Almighty grant eternal rest to those who lost their lives, replenish the losses of those who lost their goods, and grant quick healing to those still in the hospital. Above all, may God Almighty continue to bless Borno State and Nigeria.

The Rivers State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Elders Committee yesterday objected to the attack on the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, by former Governor Rufus Ada-George.

In a letter of September 13  to President Bola Tinubu, the committee described Ada-George as a “meddlesome interloper” who does not speak for the people of the state.

Signatories to the letter included  the Chairman of the Rivers Elders Forum,  Chief Ferdinand Alabraba; Chief Emmanuel Anyanwu; former president of the Nigerian Bar Association, Chief O C J Okocha (SAN); Senator George  Sekibo, former House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Chibudom Nwuche; Senator Olaka Nwogu, Chief Ken Chikere, Chief Frank Owhor, and Chief Kenneth Kobani.

Others were Ambassador Desmond Akawor, Chief Boma Iyaye Chief Felix Obuah, former Assembly speaker Ikunyi Owaji-Ibani, Prof Henry Ogiri, Chief Emmanuel Deeya, Dr Sampson Parker, Alabo Dakorinama George-Kelly, Chief Marcus Nle-Eji, Isobo Jack, Chief Igo Aguma, Rufus Godwins; Director-General of NOSDRA, Chukwuemeka Woke, and Chief Nyema Weli.

The elders also accused Ada-George of encouraging Governor Siminalayi Fubara to renege on the peace brokered between him and Wike by President Tinubu.

They said the letter written by the elder statesman and his group did not represent the interests of the people.

According to the elders, from all indications, the subject-matter of that open letter is the statement made by Chief  Nyesom Wike,  immediate past Governor of Rivers State and the current Minister of the FCT, at the recently successfully concluded Rivers PDP State Congress  in Port Harcourt.

“The letter also included other matters totally irrelevant to the subject-matter but designed deliberately to attack the person of the  Minister.

“Ordinarily, we would have completely ignored the publication for two reasons. First, the letter was written by an amorphous group falsely claiming to be speaking for Rivers people and secondly, the authors are mere meddlesome interlopers in a purely Rivers PDP affair.

“But for the benefit of the reading public, we deem it necessary to correct the various false claims, petty insinuations and outright misrepresentations contained in their letter.

“The Minister, speaking at the Rivers PDP State Congress held in Port Harcourt, informed delegates of attempts by some PDP Governors to interfere with Rivers politics and political crisis and went on to advise such governors to steer clear as anything contrary shall elicit a retaliatory response from him as he would also interfere in the politics of those states.”

Throwing its weight behind Wike, the elders said This metaphorical comment during the Rivers PDP congress did not imply that he would bring in arms and ammunition or bring in petrol to set fire in any state.

They added: “That was the statement made by the Minister and which Chief Rufus Ada George and his group took out of context, mischievously twisted and characterized as “an invocation of violence”.

“This is the latest act of grandstanding by Chief Rufus Ada George and his group pretending to support the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara,  while masking their real motive to escalate and prolong the political crisis in Rivers State for their selfish interests.

“We are not surprised at the antics of this same group who, on 26th December 2023, addressed that ill-conceived letter titled: “Peace in Galilee” to the governor of Rivers State, urging him to renege on his commitment to peace as enshrined in the peace plan brokered by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

The elders also accused Ada-George and his group of disdain for peace in the state by instituting  lawsuits to stall the implementation of the President’s Peace Plan by Fubara.

They said the latest letter sent by the group to President Tinubu to malign Wike had exposed them as the people fuelling and setting “real fire into the crisis in Rivers State.”

The elders called for the interrogation of every member of the group by security agencies for the invocation of violence in Rivers State.

They added: “How else can one characterise such elders who are only out to escalate the crisis in the state even when the governor himself had committed to peace?

“ It is therefore, laughable that they have the impudence to send a letter of appeal to Mr President whose kind and fatherly intervention to resolve the Rivers crisis was rebuffed by them.

“Furthermore, the letter by the Chief Rufus Ada-George group is replete with several false and frivolous narratives, totally irrelevant to the subject-matter, all in an effort to tarnish the political standing and achievements of Chief Nyesom Wike.

“But they failed woefully in that regard and only succeeded in exposing themselves as truly envious of his unassailable political profile which is already in the public domain.”

Hailing Wike, the elders said he left an  “indelible legacy of achievements unmatched by any former governor of Rivers State and this was openly attested to at several public fora by no less a personality than a former two-time Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency, Sir (Dr) Peter Odili CON, GSSRS.”

They stressed: “His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, recognised Wike’s achievements, appointed him Minister of the FCT and Wike is currently replicating his excellent performance as Governor in the FCT.

“It was therefore, no surprise that Wike, who received the prestigious Presidential Award of Excellence on Infrastructural Delivery as Governor of Rivers State has again been honoured with that award as Minister of the FCT.

“We expected Chief Rufus Ada George and his elders to commend this proud son of Rivers State for that uncommon feat and stop frustrating themselves by writing frivolous letters against him.

The elders said the group, in pursuit of its “clannish agenda and leveraging on the political crisis in Rivers State, have made it its “pre-occupation to write open letters with Chief Nyesom Wike as  target.”

They stressed: “These are people who did not supported Tinubu for President and not happy that Wike was invited to serve as Minister in the Tinubu administration and is doing very well.

“It is only fair to remind them that Wike is a visionary leader, highly detribalized, whose principled stance on zoning and power-sharing, not only at the national level but also in Rivers State, puts him way above their divisive ethnic sentiments. Wike handed over a peaceful state to his successor.”

According to them,  Wike’s tenure as vovernor was not “only successful in delivering unparalleled dividends of democracy, but also positively changed the dynamics of inter-ethnic relationships through his strategic collaboration  with the political leadership of the ethnic groups in the state.”

They added: “Whether Chief Rufus Ada George , Chief E K Clark and their elders like it or not, Wike still maintains a very huge and stable political following  in Rivers State.”

The elders said the people have lost faith in Ada-George and his group, after Wike and Fubara failed to attend a reconciliation meeting organised by them.

They urged them to “reflect on that clear failing and play a more constructive role by placing the interest of the State above personal gains.”

They said: “It is now clear beyond doubt that the resentful attitude of the Chief Rufus Ada- George group towards the Tinubu presidency is the same, if not worse, than their attitude towards Wike’s ministerial status.

“They should have examined their conscience to know if they deserved to be heard by Mr President, having rejected his Peace Plan and continued to put fire into the political crisis in the state.”

The elders urged President Tinubu to disregard their letter in its entirety for lacking merit and reason.

They added: “For the Chief Rufus Ada-George group and the  likes of Chief E.K Clark, we advise them to assume a more noble role as statesmen as every attempt at witch-hunting Chief  Wike will remain a wild goose chase and  refrain from further fuelling the crisis in Rivers State so that Governor  Fubara, who they refused to support during the elections, can govern in an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity.”