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Group, led by Buhari’s aide, alleges fresh moves to depose Emir Sanusi II
By Nasiru Yusuf
A civil society group on the restoration and preservation of Kano heritage, the Renaissance Coalition said it has uncovered plans by Kano state government to transfer the Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II, to Bichi emirate in a bid to remove him from office.
The group, which was headed by the Special Assistant to President Muhammad Buhari on Political Affairs AbdurRahman Bappa Yola alleged that, the government has also arranged to depose the Emir if he resists directive to swap positions with Emir of Bichi Aminu Ado Bayero.
A statement sent to Kano Focus by the coalition’s spokesperson Ibrahim Wayya described the move as unfortunate, as there is a subsisting court ruling which ordered the maintenance of status quo pending pending the determination of the matter.
The statement added that “even the contentious law which was maliciously and hurriedly made, and is being challenged before the court, has not explicitly provided for such swap.”
It alleged that the move is a clear manifestation of extreme desperation on the part of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje to advance a personal vendetta at the expense of the peace and well-being of the citizens he swore to protect.
The group called on Mr Ganduje to desist from implementing the alleged plot, which it said is capable of jeopardizing the relative peace enjoy in the State.
It also particularly called on the security agencies, political leaders, respected elders, Ulamas, intellectuals, opinion leaders and any person or people with the means to reach out to advise the governor to desist from such act “that is likely to cause violent unrest in the polity.”
“We deem it our responsibility to do everything possible within our power to advocate for the peace and well-being of the citizens, by calling on all well meaning individuals and the Federal Government, to call the governor to order, to seize and desist from any further hostile action against the Kano emirate and the person of the Emir of Kano Mallam Muhammadu Sanusi ll.
“We believe in the adage better safe than sorry, we always want to be on the right path and the right side of history, expressing our objective opinions and engage relevant authorities for appropriate and timely action to prevent societal disasters. We decided not to wait and be reactive but to be proactive because of the perceived heavy toll the repercussions of the alleged action of the Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, awaits the people of Kano, if the alleged plot is materialized and remains unchecked.
“Therefore, as responsible and concerned citizens, we strongly call on the governor to desist from going on with this alleged plot and such similar action, which is capable of jeopardizing the relative peace we enjoy in the State. We also particularly call on the security agencies, political leaders, the respected elders, venerated Ulamas, intellectuals, opinion leaders and any person or people with the means to reach out to advise the Governor to desist from such act,” the group said.
The coalition however, threatened to call on the federal government to declare a state of emergency in Kano state as soon as Mr Ganduje makes the pronouncement of the alleged plot, in order to save Kano State from the consequences of the governor’s action.
The statement recalled how Kano became tense when a similar action was attempted against the then Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero in 1981, noting that if such action is attempted, “it may likely be the worst because of increased social and economic stress which are already keeping people on edge, ready to erupt as well as a much higher restless youth population in the State.”
“It is our prayer that, the Federal Government, must to do everything possible to prevail on the Governor to forestall the alleged plot of Swapping the Emir of Kano Mallam Muhammad Sanusi, to ensure that our dear State remains peaceful,” the statement concluded.
However, in a phone interview with Kano Focus, Abba Anwar, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Ganduje, dismissed the claims, saying he was not aware of such moves.
“I heard it in town just like any other person,” he said.
The group had once called on the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, to intervene when the crisis first erupted between governor Mr Ganduje and Emir Sanusi over the creation of four additional emirates in Kano State.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Kano State Government says it has executed 1,508 development projects worth more than N928 billion across the state’s 44 local government areas since Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf assumed office, with about 80 per cent of constituency projects awarded between 2023 and 2025 already completed.
KANO FOCUS reports that the Commissioner for Public Procurement, Projects Monitoring and Evaluation, Comrade Nura Iro Ma’aji Sumaila, disclosed this during an international press briefing on the administration’s infrastructure development programme.
According to Comrade Sumaila, the projects cover critical sectors including roads, urban renewal, education, healthcare, security and other social infrastructure.
He said 799 of the projects have been completed, while 709 are at various stages of execution. He added that the state is also implementing 619 constituency projects through members of the Kano State House of Assembly.
The commissioner noted that about 80 per cent of the constituency projects have been completed. However, he said some projects remain unfinished because of rising construction costs caused by inflation.
He said the government has submitted a request to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for an upward review of contract sums to enable contractors complete the affected projects.
Breakdown of projects
Comrade Sumaila said the administration spent over N169 billion on urban renewal projects, including road rehabilitation, drainage construction and other metropolitan infrastructure.
He said another N118 billion was committed to constructing five-kilometre roads in 38 local government areas to improve connectivity across the state.
According to him, the government also awarded contracts worth over N6.8 billion for the construction of Kano State Neighbourhood Watch security divisions in 36 local government areas.
He added that rural infrastructure projects covering education, healthcare and other social interventions across the 44 local government areas account for contracts valued at more than N397 billion, while other ongoing projects have a combined value of about N255 billion.
Commitment to transparency
The commissioner said the Ministry of Public Procurement, Projects Monitoring and Evaluation would continue to ensure compliance with due process and technical standards in the execution of government projects.
He said the ministry’s mandate includes monitoring projects to ensure value for money and prudent utilisation of public resources.
According to him, the administration’s investments in infrastructure are intended to improve mobility, strengthen security, expand access to education and healthcare, improve water supply and stimulate economic growth across the state.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Kano State has emerged as the highest-ranked sub-national government in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for education spending, according to the latest Sub-National Education Spending Index developed by the University of Paris.
KANO FOCUS reports that the ranking places Kano State first among 209 first-level sub-national governments across 15 ECOWAS member countries, underscoring the state’s growing reputation for prioritising investment in education.
According to the published index, Kano topped the rankings with an overall S-WAESI score of 87.21, outperforming other leading regions, including Dakar and Saint-Louis in Senegal. Lagos State was the second Nigerian state on the list, ranking 16th overall.
The assessment evaluated states and regions using the S-WAESI (Sub-National Weighted Aggregate Education Spending Index) methodology, which measures government commitment to education through indicators such as actual education expenditure, spending per student, budget execution, education priority, transparency and evidence-based reporting.
The methodology assigns 35 points to actual education spending, 25 points to spending per student, 20 points to budget execution, 10 points to education priority and 10 points to transparency.
The report indicated that Kano excelled largely due to its strong actual education spending and budget execution, making it the best-performing sub-national government in the region.
The ranking covered states, regions, districts and municipalities across Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Togo, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Cabo Verde.
Kano State Accountability Forum on Education (K-SAFE) said the recognition reflects Kano State Government’s sustained investment in expanding access to education, improving school infrastructure and strengthening educational planning and budget implementation.
KANO FOCUS reports that the achievement is expected to further boost the state’s profile as a leader in education reform within West Africa and provide additional momentum for ongoing efforts to improve learning outcomes across the state.
The latest ranking comes amid renewed attention on education financing across ECOWAS, with experts increasingly emphasising transparent budgeting, efficient resource utilisation and sustained public investment as critical drivers of quality education.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Kano State has emerged as one of the biggest beneficiaries of the World Bank-supported HOPE Governance Programme after qualifying for a total of $3.5 million in performance-based incentives for implementing key governance, education and healthcare reforms.
KANO FOCUS reports that the World Bank, through the HOPE Governance Programme domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, approved $27 million in incentives for states that successfully met the Year Zero Disbursement-Linked Results (DLRs).
The National Coordinator of the HOPE Governance Programme, Assad Hassan, announced the incentives on Tuesday in Abuja during a retreat attended by commissioners, permanent secretaries and directors of budget and planning from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
A statement issued by the programme’s Communications Officer, Joe Mutah, said the incentives were based on the recommendations of the Interim Independent Verification Agent, which assessed states’ performance against agreed reform indicators.
Kano ranked among the highest-performing states, qualifying for incentives under three separate reform indicators.
The state will receive $1.5 million under Disbursement-Linked Result (DLR) 2.1 for adopting comprehensive guidelines for the preparation and submission of consolidated work plans for the state basic education budget.
It also qualified for another $1.5 million under DLR 2.2, which recognises states that adopted comprehensive guidelines for consolidated work plans for state primary healthcare budgets.
In addition, Kano secured $500,000 under DLR 2.3 for adopting harmonised budget guidelines and a unified chart of accounts for local governments.
Altogether, the state is expected to receive $3.5 million, making it one of the top-performing states under the programme.
Only five states—Bayelsa, Borno, Kano, Kebbi and Yobe—qualified for both the education and healthcare planning incentives, earning $3 million each from the two indicators alone.
Kano further distinguished itself by qualifying under the local government budgeting reform indicator, increasing its total allocation to $3.5 million.
The state also featured among 15 states that met the requirements under DLR 4.1, which rewards states for publishing their 2025 Citizens Budget for basic education and primary healthcare by February 28, 2025. Each qualifying state under this indicator will receive $500,000.
Other states that qualified under DLR 4.1 are Abia, Bayelsa, Borno, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kogi, Nasarawa, Ondo, Plateau and Yobe.
According to the programme, the performance-based incentives are designed to encourage states to strengthen governance systems, improve budget transparency and enhance planning in the education and primary healthcare sectors.
KANO FOCUS reports that the HOPE Governance Programme is a World Bank-supported initiative implemented through the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning to promote improved public financial management and better service delivery across Nigeria’s states.
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