By Achile Danjuma
The 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, on Tuesday night held a closed-door meeting with a delegation from the state governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, shortly after hosting top government officials for an Iftar at his palace.
The meeting, which took place at the historic Gidan Rumfa, has further fuelled speculation over the state government’s stance in the ongoing emirship dispute in Kano.
Confirming the development in a Facebook post early Wednesday, the governor’s spokesperson, Sanusi Tofa, said the governor’s delegation met privately with the monarch after the Iftar gathering.
According to him, the delegation comprised the Secretary to the State Government, Umar Ibrahim; the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Sulaiman Wali Sani; and himself.
Tofa wrote, “Shortly after the Iftar at Emir’s Palace, the governor’s delegation had a closed-door meeting with His Highness.”
The meeting comes amid uncertainty over the fate of the traditional Durbar festival, a centuries-old cultural procession in Kano, following conflicting signals from government officials about whether the event will hold this year.
The uncertainty is linked to the unresolved legal battle between Sanusi II and Aminu Ado Bayero over the emirship stool.