An outspoken ruler mired in conflicts is ousted without warning from his palace and banished under armed guard into an uncertain exile beyond the borders of his realm. This is not the plot of a Shakespearean tragedy, but the real-life drama that has played out in northern Nigeria’s influential Islamic emirate of Kano as traditional leader Muhammadu Sanusi II was unceremoniously deposed by the local governor.
The sudden fall of one of the country’s most
revered hereditary rulers on Monday rattled the 1,000-year-old kingdom — and
has shown the difficult balancing act facing the ancient monarchies of
modern-day Nigeria.
Sanusi, also known by his birth name Lamido, had been a mould-breaker since ascending to the throne of the emirate of millions in 2014 after the death of his great-uncle. The 58-year-old former central bank governor was already known for his outspokenness when he claimed the title and carved out a reputation as a moderniser willing to criticise practices like having multiple wives and children without being able to support them.
The ruler’s main nemesis — and the man who ultimately unseated him — was regional governor Abdullahi Ganduje. Ganduje suspected the emir of backing his political rival and had already divided up his territory and launched a corruption probe to try to bring him to heel. On Monday their feud came to a head when Sanusi was unexpectedly removed for “total disrespect”.
“The governor decided that enough is
enough and moved against him,” said Adewunmi Falode, a history professor at
Lagos state university. “It’s a signal that the ultimate power rests with the
government while the emir is just a symbol of spirituality, culture and
tradition without real power and influence.”
The deposed ruler was detained by police at his palace before
being spirited out of Kano to exile in a remote village in another state where
he is expected to remain incommunicado. – ‘Seen not heard’ – There are dozens
of traditional rulers across Africa’s most populous country. They have no
official constitutional powers but are important cultural custodians who often
wield great influence over their followers.
Relics from a period when monarchies dominated this region, they rely now on regional governments for their funding and their succession is regulated by elected officials.
While they lack practical power, their patronage can be key at elections when Nigeria’s notoriously cutthroat politicians jostle for votes. But their role remains ambiguous — and when Sanusi began to talk up some complained that he was overstepping the boundaries and flouting the strict protocol of the palace. “It is an established custom that the emir should be seen not heard,” a Kano court insider told AFP on condition of anonymity. “But Sanusi violated that important tradition and would talk like a parrot anywhere, anytime and on any topic — this eroded the mystic and prestige around his person in the eyes of the people.” That could in part explain the muted response to his removal on the streets of his former kingdom.
While moves to depose previous emirs
provoked deadly violence in decades past, this time around there have been no
major protests. – ‘Archaic practice’ – If anything highlighted the
uncomfortable divide between modernity and tradition that the monarchies
straddle — it was the nature of Sanusi’s removal. The lightning move to turf
him out was down to a powerplay typical of the political tussles of
contemporary Nigeria. Within hours a replacement had been installed — and the
former ruler released a video message pledging his allegiance. But the decision
to detain and banish Sanusi to an undisclosed location proved controversial.
Amnesty International’s Nigerian branch complained on Twitter that “placing him
incommunicado violates his human rights”. The tactic dates back to the days
when the British Empire dominated Nigeria with its strategy of divide-and-rule
and would exile leaders viewed as troublesome. “The archaic practice of
banishment of deposed Emirs, a colonial practice, has no basis under Nigerian
law or the constitution,” Abubakar Balarabe Mahmoud, a lawyer for Sanusi, said
in a statement. His legal team insisted they would go to court to challenge the
legality of his treatment. “We are totally perplexed at the resort to this
practice in present day Nigeria by its political leaders.”
