Don’t drag Buhari into Kano Emirate crisis, group warns

Following reports making rounds in the media that President Muhammadu Buhari had fore knowledge of the recent development in Kano state, the Buhari Media Organisation has said the president knew nothing about the development.

In a statement signed by its chairman Mr Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary, Mr Cassidy Madueke, and made available to Ripples Nigeria, the organisation said insinuations that President Buhari was aware of the development was cheap blackmail calculated to bring him down.

“It is cheap political blackmail for anyone to say or insinuate that President Muhammad Buhari had fore-knowledge of the plan by the Kano State Government to whittle down the powers of the Emir of Kano by creating four new Emirates.

The group further stated that insinuations that President Buhari should have intervened in the matter was out of place.

“Insinuations that President Muhammadu Buhari should have intervened in the matter are misplaced, unfair and misdirected as the President has no constitutional power to intervene in the process because it is purely a State matter, as the constitution is clear on the demarcation of the powers of the President and State Governors”.

Read also: SERAP TO GANDUJE: Reject fat pensions, luxury cars-for-life for Kano lawmakers

Meanwhile, BMO urged the media to report the issue as appropriate, clearing the constitutional position of the President over the matter.

“Our colleagues in the mainstream media outlets should report the issue accurately by plainly making it clear that the President cannot decide who becomes an Emir, or engage in creating emirates and chiefdoms in any state of the federation because of the constitution clearly vests that power in State Assemblies and State Governors,” the BMO emphasized.

It also cautioned the major opposition party in the country, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the issue.

“The PDP has consistently and immorally tried to drag the President into matters that concern the states only, whereas they should know that it is not permissible for him to go beyond his constitutional powers and get involved in matters over which he has no legal right to play any role.

It however clarified that “It is equally immoral and unfair for any political party, group or individual to infer that the President should have intervened in the matter, which is purely a State affair”.

Recall that the Kano State House of Assembly last week passed a bill amending the Kano State Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs law which also created four additional emirates in the state.

The Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje immediately signed the bill into Law and inaugurated four new Emirs at the state capital.

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