Kwankwaso fights Jonathan over Sanusi

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Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso has accused President Goodluck Jonathan of “causing crisis” that followed the appointment of a former Central Bank of Nigeria governor, Mallam Lamido Sanusi, as the Emir of Kano.

Kwankwaso said it was worrisome that Jonathan was meddling in the affair of the state, adding that he (Jonathan) had   no business with Sanusi’s appointment.

Writing on his Twitter page on Wednesday, the governor said his government followed the same process which his counterpart in Gombe State, Ibrahim Dankwambo, used in   appointing the Emir of Gombe.

He therefore wondered why the President was   stoking crisis in the state and accused him   of plotting an “agenda which is not good for this country.”

The governor said it was a known fact that the Jonathan administration had enough security challenges which it should focus its attention on.

He specifically advised the President to   find the over 200 schoolgirls abducted on April 14 instead of   sending policemen to   lay siege to the emir’s palace.

The message on   Kwankwaso’s Twitter page was also posted on the Facebook page of his Director of Press and Public Relations, Baba Dantiye.

The governor, who granted interviews to some media houses, said   he was elated that nobody had so far questioned Sanusi’s eligibility or the fact that “he is also royally blooded.”

He said, “Mr. President doesn’t seem to know where his power starts and where it stops. The appointment of an emir is purely a state affair. I am happy to say that nobody has questioned the eligibility of the new emir.

“They did not even fault or question the process. We are happy because he is well educated and exposed both nationally and internationally. What business has the Federal Government with the appointment of the Emir of Kano.

“If there is Emir of Nigeria, let him go and appoint him. My feeling is that they have more than enough security problems, especially finding the Chibok girls than sending police to go and block the Emir of Kano’s palace just because of Sanusi.”

Arguing that the President had been instructing his “supporters and stooges” to unleash mayhem on the state, he lamented that the protesters had begun destroying government property.

He added that Jonathan should be held responsible if attempts were made on his life.

“I have told my friends, and people of Kano, other Nigerians and indeed the international community to hold Jonathan responsible for whatever happens to Kwankwaso, his family or even the people of Kano State,” the governor added.

The police had   deployed   additional team of   riot policemen   in the palace, as the siege to the palatial official residence of the traditional ruler of the Kano Emirate entered its   fourth day on Wednesday.

The deployment, The PUNCH gathered, followed the action of some youths, who on hearing rumours     that the appointment of Alhaji Sanusi Lamido as the new emir had be cancelled trooped to the streets jubilating on Tuesday night.

The youth were said to be from Mandawari, Gwale, Kofar Nassarawa in the old Kano city.

Sources said the policemen were deployed to beef up security and   block movements into the palace, which is now to be occupied by   Sanusi, who was on Monday named the successor of the late Emir, Alhaji Ado Bayero.

Police authorities had on Sunday sent   policemen to the palace and its environs ahead of the announcement of a new emir for the Emirate.

Protests however   broke out on Monday when the appointment of Sanusi, a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, by the state government.

Since he was appointed,   he has been operating from the state Government House, Kano, where he has received many prominent personalities, including governors and business chieftains.

The Commissioner of Police, Aderenle Shinaba, and the Public Relations Officer, Musa Majiya, did not offer any explanations for the continued siege to the palace when   approached by journalists.

Efforts to get the President’s reaction to Kwankwaso’s accusation did not yield any positive result last night.

Presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati, told one of our correspondents that he was in a convoy when he was contacted on the telephone.

Although he promised to read the electronic mail our correspondent sent to him on the issue and react, he has yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.