By Uzair Adam
Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has held a closed-door meeting with Alhaji Aminu Babba Dan’agundi, Sarkin Dawaki Babba and Senior Counsellor to 15th Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, amid renewed tension over the Kano Emirate.
The meeting reportedly took place at the Kano State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja and lasted nearly two hours, according to a source familiar with the development.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Dan’agundi was invited by Governor Yusuf for the private meeting but did not disclose what was discussed.
Dan’agundi, a prominent member of the camp of Aminu Ado Bayero, recently said he had “a lot of respect” for Governor Yusuf while speaking about developments surrounding the Kano Emirate dispute.
The meeting comes amid renewed controversy over a planned traditional horse-riding procession involving supporters of Aminu Ado Bayero.
On October 1, Dan’agundi said Bayero’s supporters would await the emir’s return before announcing arrangements for a planned horse-riding procession to Yakasai, where the monarch was expected to attend a Qur’anic graduation ceremony.
His comments came amid controversy over the reported appearance of Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II on horseback during an Independence Day event in Kano, despite restrictions imposed by the state government on horse-riding and Durbar activities.
The development further heightened concerns over possible confrontation between supporters of the two rival emirate camps.
The Daily Reality recalls that the current Kano Emirate dispute dates back to March 2020, when former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje dethroned Muhammadu Sanusi II and installed Aminu Ado Bayero as the 15th Emir of Kano.
The move followed the restructuring of the Kano Emirate into five separate emirates under the Ganduje administration.
In May 2024, Governor Yusuf repealed the law establishing the five emirates and reinstated Sanusi as Emir of Kano.
The move effectively removed Bayero from the throne, but he rejected the decision and continued to operate from the Nasarawa Palace.
The dispute has since resulted in prolonged legal proceedings, alongside political and security tensions over the competing claims to the Kano throne.
In a related development on Wednesday, Kano State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, visited Bayero at the Nasarawa Palace and appealed to him to shelve the planned horse-riding procession to Yakasai.
Bakori also appealed to Dan’agundi to continue encouraging Bayero to cooperate with security authorities.
The police intervention followed Bayero’s notification to security authorities of his intention to embark on the horse-riding procession.
Bakori said security regulations require at least 72 hours’ written notice for public horse-riding or Durbar activities and appealed to Bayero to travel to the event by vehicle.
The reported meeting between Governor Yusuf and Dan’agundi comes against this backdrop, although neither the governor nor Dan’agundi has publicly disclosed the issues discussed during the private meeting.
