The colourful Durbar that typically marks Eid-el-Kabir in Kano was suspended this year, marking the second cancellation in a decade. Two men lay claim to the throne of the Kano Emirate. Muhammadu Sanusi II, the reinstated 16th Emir, and Aminu Ado Bayero, the deposed 15th Emir, each chose to suspend the event rather than risk a humiliating parallel ceremony or violent confrontation. The police banned all Durbar activities outright.

This standoff traces back to 2014, when late Emir Ado Bayero named his eldest son, Sanusi Ado Bayero (Ciroma), as successor. Instead, Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso appointed former CBN Governor, Lamido Sanusi—Ado Bayero’s nephew—as Emir. The family feud simmered until 2020, when Kwankwaso’s political rival, Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of the APC, sacked Sanusi and installed Aminu Ado Bayero, Ciroma’s younger brother. Ganduje used an amended 2019 Emirate Law that created five emirates, including Aminu’s, as the legal basis.

The crisis was reignited in May 2024 when Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, from Kwankwaso’s NNPP party, repealed the 2019 law and reinstated Sanusi. Aminu refused to leave, obtaining a Federal High Court injunction. The Court initially ruled for Aminu in June 2024, but the Court of Appeal overturned this in January 2025, restoring Sanusi’s appointment. The Supreme Court, after hearing Aminu’s final appeal, outrageously postponed judgment until April 2027. The political drivers are clear. Kano, the North’s most populous state, is a battleground between the NDC-Kwankwaso axis and the APC-Tinubu establishment. Sanusi has the support of NDC- Kwankwaso. Aminu has APC and federal backing. Both sides have deadlocked compromise.

Despite the tension, open violence has remained minimal. The army clarified it will not enforce court orders but will maintain law and order if police were overwhelmed. Police deployed heavily around both palaces and banned all protests. The government has kept both emirs in their respective palaces without deposing or banishing either. Legally, Sanusi is the de jure Emir under the Appeal Court judgment, but Aminu remains de facto until the Supreme Court rules. The Supreme Court’s postponement to 2027 merely suspended the evil day.

Beyond litigation, experts offer solutions. Professor Umar Labdo, a Kano indigene and professor of Islamic Political Thought, suggests both men voluntarily forego the stool to allow a younger, neutral successor to restore unity. The 18 Ulamas have appealed to President Tinubu to intervene, but the president is unlikely to oblige them because Kano is highly prized politically, and also highly inflammable. The role of politicians is condemnable. Kwankwaso and Ganduje treated the emirate as their personal chessboard, installing and removing emirs like political appointees. The Durbar suspension is a warning. If the Supreme Court delays further or political godfathers refuse compromise, the stalemate could ignite. Politicians must step aside. All must obey the Court’s final verdict.