Editorial Suite
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AS governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, projected himself as a politician by making unguarded political statements thereby politicizing that position. Some of his critics felt he was using that position to serve notice of his presidential ambition. That was the opposite of his dream. Rather, his lifetime ambition was to be on the Kano emirate throne. He never hid the ambition and prepared well for it. Apart from earning two degrees in economics, he also had a degree in Islamic Studies in his kitty. He went ahead to smoothen his relationship with the appointing authority, which is the government of Kano state. Besides, he was a frequent caller at the Emirate when late Ado Bayero was on the throne. He was the late Emir’s son-in-law having married one of his daughters. That was not all. He used his position at the CBN to cater for the welfare of his people especially by donating N100 million to the state to assuage the effects of bomb attacks on the ancient city by Boko Haram insurgents. As providence would have it, his dream came earlier than expected following the death on Friday, June 6, of the incumbent emir. As usual, the king makers sprang into action immediately to pick a candidate for the exalted position.
Ordinarily, the selection of a new Emir would have been devoid of political intrigues but the politicians would not let it be. With their eyes on the 2015 general elections, both the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, felt they would have a political advantage by influencing the choice of an Emir who would be sympathetic to their cause. Hence, the high-wired political intrigues that surrounded the choice of an emir on Sunday, June 8. The APC eventually had its way by influencing Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, one of its members, who had the last say on who becomes the Emir, to settle for Sanusi amidst protests.
It is not yet Uhuru for the APC and Sanusi as the PDP and President Jonathan, who appear to have lost out in the chess game, still have a joker to play. If they decide to go ahead with the criminal cases against the new Emir and successfully prosecute them in court, Sanusi stands the risk of losing his throne if he is finally convicted on the charges leveled against him. As Oyekachi Ubani, lawyer and chairman, Nigerian Bar Association, Ikeja branch, told Realnews in an interview in Lagos, “ Sanusi could still be in trouble if he is convicted of any of the charges against him in court. The court cases against him will still go on because he doesn’t have immunity…Besides, the cases were instituted against him before he became the emir. All the associated intrigues in the appointment of Emir Sanusi are succinctly captured in our cover story for this week entitled “Sanusi: The Politician on The Throne,” written by Olu Ojewale, the general editor. It is a compendium of sort. Enjoy it.
Mike Akpan
Editor-in-Chief
mikeakpan2003@yahoo.com | 08023880068
— Jun. 23, 2014 @ 01:00 GMT
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