Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) has injected fresh uncertainty into the protracted Kano emirship crisis, raising a critical question on whether the political realignment will finally resolve the dispute, or will further complicate an already delicate situation?

For nearly two years, Kano has been gripped by an unprecedented royal standoff, with two emirs laying claim to the same revered stool.

Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II operates from the historic Gidan Rumfa Palace, while the 15th Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, remains at the Nassarawa mini-palace.

Each enjoys backing from rival political and institutional forces.

How the Crisis Began

The roots of the crisis date back to March 2020, when former governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje dethroned Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, citing alleged insubordination, and replaced him with Aminu Ado Bayero.

Many observers, however, linked the decision to political differences, particularly Sanusi’s perceived closeness to Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

In May 2024, the pendulum swung again. The NNPP-led government of Abba Kabir Yusuf repealed the 2019 emirate law, abolished the five emirates created under it, and reinstated Sanusi as Emir of Kano.

The move restored a single-emir structure but triggered a fresh round of legal battles, with Bayero challenging his removal in court.

Defection Changes the Political Equation

Governor Yusuf’s recent move to the APC has altered the political landscape.

By joining the ruling party, Yusuf is now aligned with Ganduje and Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, figures apparently regarded as supporters of Bayero.

The defection also marked a sharp break with Yusuf’s former political Godfather, Senator Kwankwaso, under whose influence Sanusi was believed to have secured his reinstatement.

This realignment immediately fuelled speculation that the emirship dispute could be revisited as part of broader reconciliation within the APC.

Government Signals Dialogue

The speculation gained traction after the Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, suggested that the crisis could soon be resolved.

“Now we will sit down and resolve such problems calmly. These issues will no longer be difficult. There will be discussions; where apologies are needed, they will be offered, and where forgiveness is required, it will be granted. In some cases, someone may be asked to make sacrifices for the sake of peace,” Waiya said during a radio programme.

His comments were widely interpreted as a sign that political dialogue, rather than prolonged litigation, might be explored.

Sanusi Remains Emir – Gov Yusuf

Amid the rising speculation, Governor Yusuf moved to draw a clear line.

Speaking through his spokesman, Sanusi Bature, he insisted there was no plan to remove Emir Sanusi.

“There is no plan to replace Emir Sanusi on the throne of Kano. The appointment of the emir was done after the emirates law had been repealed, and there is no plan at the executive level for any further amendment,” the governor said.

“Emir Sanusi remains the Emir of Kano. This defection to the APC will not change the status quo.

Bayero Camp Pushes Back

Despite the governor’s assurances, the camp of Emir Aminu Ado Bayero has rejected any talk of a negotiated settlement.

Sarkin Dawakin Babba, Aminu Babban Dan Agundi, who initiated the legal challenge against the Kano State Government, said the matter is strictly for the courts.

“There is no negotiation that can lead to the removal of Emir Aminu Ado Bayero. The matter is before the courts, and no one has the authority to give judgment except the court. Everyone should wait for the Supreme Court’s decision,” he said.

Settlement Still Possible – Legal experts

Legal analysts argue that while the matter is in court, a settlement is not legally foreclosed.

Barrister Umar Usman Dan Baito, a lecturer at Northwest University, Kano, told DAILY POST that Nigerian law allows for settlement at any stage.

“Even if a case is before the Supreme Court, parties can still reach a settlement through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). Once the court adopts the agreement, the case comes to an end,” he said.

Resolution or Complication?

While Yusuf’s move to the APC could, in theory, create a platform for political consensus, it has also deepened suspicions and hardened positions among the rival camps.

With the court yet to deliver final judgments and political interests continuing to intersect with traditional authority, the emirship tussle remains finely balanced.

Whether the governor’s defection will unlock a lasting resolution or further entangle the crisis now depends on how political dialogue, legal processes, and traditional reconciliation are managed in the weeks ahead.

The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, rtd, says he is likely to formally become a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

Speaking during an interview on ‘Sunday Politics’, a programme on Channels Television, General Musa said he is currently in political transition.

Musa said he was grateful that APC gave him the platform to present himself as Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, and now Minister of Defense, adding that he would definitely support the party.

The former CDS maintained that President Bola Tinubu needs full support, expressing full readiness to give Tinubu the support in every way he could.
“I’ve not transitioned yet. I’m in transition. I think I’ll become a politician, a member of the APC, definitely.

“Mr President needs all support, totally,” he said.

The Nigerian government, through the Federal Airport Authority, the manager of Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), has apologized to passengers and stakeholders following a power outage at Terminal 1 at the weekend in Lagos state.

The Nigerian government agency, in a statement on its official X account on Sunday, attributed the disruption to a fault in the terminal’s changeover circuit.

According to FAAN, the interruption occurred after an issue arose during a power changeover process.

FAAN explained that its technical teams were immediately deployed to bridge the gap and transfer electricity supply to the secondary grid, while interim backup measures were activated to restore services as quickly as possible.

“We acknowledge the power outage at MMIA Terminal 1 yesterday (weekend). The interruption was caused by an issue with the changeover circuit.

“We apologize to all passengers and stakeholders affected by the disruption and any discomfort it caused”, the statement reads on X.

Frontline activist, Aisha Yesufu has warned that hunger and poverty have been deliberately weaponized in Nigeria, describing them as tools used to weaken citizens and suppress critical thinking.

In a post on X, Yesufu said the widespread hunger has left many Nigerians struggling to survive, with little capacity to engage politically or hold leaders accountable.

According to her, this condition has created a society where those who are not hungry must think and act not only for themselves, but also on behalf of those who no longer have the strength or space to do so.

“Hunger that is deliberately inflicted has made many lose their capacity to think,” she said, adding that poverty has become “a cancer that has eaten up the very soul of our society.”

Yesufu accused the political leadership of entrenching poverty while offering temporary relief measures during election periods.

She argued that such interventions are short-lived and designed primarily to secure votes rather than address systemic issues.

She called on Nigerians who are economically stable to come together and serve as the “soul and conscience of the nation,” urging them to take a deliberate stand for the country’s future.

“Nigeria has everything it needs to be great,” Yesufu said, emphasizing the need to confront hunger and revive what she described as the nation’s weakened spirit.

“We must unlock the spirit that has been starved the Nigerian can-do spirit.”

Her remarks come amid growing public concern over rising food prices, deepening poverty, and economic hardship across the country.

The All Progressive Congress, APC, state chairmanship aspirant in Kaduna state, Dr Simon Nuhu Yashim, has urged Kaduna state citizens to support governor Uba Sani’s administration to continue to provide accurate and quality leadership in the state.

Yashim made the appeal while interacting with newsmen during the  book launch for Uba Sani’s two years achievements and presentation, organised by 14-14, held in Kaduna.

According to him, “Governor Uba Sani’s two-year tenure has focused on governance and tangible achievements in security, infrastructure, and human capital development all over the state.”

He pledged to adequately build a party structure that would work tirelessly to amplify and safeguard the governor’s legacy through robust grassroots support and effective communication of government programs to the electorate, when elected as state APC Chairman.

Also speaking, the member representing Zaria city constituency, Barrister Mahmud Lawal Ismail, said “the book launch is timely when the people of Kaduna are witnessing with satisfaction the commitments of governor Uba Sani’s administration to provide infrastructural development.

The Chairman house committee on education also noted that, the book launch would serve as guidelines for some of the activities for his government on health, education social investment, agriculture, security, roads and infrastructures, among others.

The Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State has enjoined the faction of the party led by Tanimu Turaki to seek reconciliation rather than pursuing futile legal battle.

Chairman of the caretaker committee, Professor Abdulrahman Akinoso made this declaration via a statement made available to DAILY POST Friday evening.

The convention was held in Ibadan between 15 and 16 November last year.

Our correspondent gathered that the court, led by Justice Uche Agomoh, ruled that the convention and its outcomes were illegal.

The court then nullified the convention and thereafter affirmed the caretaker committee as the lawful governing body of the party.

Akinoso, in his reaction, urged the faction led by Turaki to seek reconciliation rather than pursuing a futile legal battle.

He said that the party remained committed to unity and democratic principles.

Akinoso also reaffirmed the support of the caretaker committee for the National Caretaker Committee.

He said, “We urge the Turaki-led group to seek reconciliation rather than pursuing a futile legal battle.

“The PDP remains committed to unity and democratic principles. The Oyo State PDP Caretaker Committee reaffirms its support for the National Caretaker Committee and pledges to work towards party unity and success in the 2027 general elections.

“We call on all PDP members to rally behind the party’s leadership and focus on rebuilding and strengthening our structures for electoral success”.

Some senators on Friday raised the alarm over what they described as inadequate funding of Senate standing committees, warning that the situation was undermining their work and threatening effective budget implementation.

The complaints came up at a meeting between the Senate Committee on Appropriations and chairmen of various standing committees ahead of the consideration of the 2026 budget.

Leading the pack, Senator Anthony Ani (Ebonyi South) said the Senate Committee on South East Development Commission had received no funds since its inauguration.

He said, “Mr Chairman, you have read out the timetable to be followed by the various committees for consideration of the 2026 budget. But the Senate Committee on South East Development Commission that I belong to does not have money to organise a meeting with any agency due to zero allocation since its formation and inauguration.

Ani added that based on credible information, other Senate committees overseeing zonal development commissions had yet to be funded, questioning how such committees were expected to function.

Corroborating his position, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on North Central Development Commission, Titus Zam (Benue North-West), warned that the initial enthusiasm that greeted the creation of the commissions was waning.

“Lack of funding for the committees on zonal development Commissions in the Senate, is gradually turning the excitement that heralded them into disappointment and even into lamentation,” he said.

Also speaking, the Deputy Minority Leader of the Senate, Oyewunmi Olalere (Osun West), extended the concerns to what he described as weak and overlapping budget implementation, urging the Senator Solomon Adeola-led Appropriations Committee to intensify oversight of revenue-generating agencies.

“The promise on single budget implementation from April 1 this year is being threatened because parts of the capital component of the 2024 budget in terms of contracts execution are not paid yet, let alone the 30 per cent capital component of the 2025 budget expected to expire by the 31st of March.

“Today (Friday) is January 30, which means that only two months are left to clear off the leftovers of 2024 and 2025 budgets to pave the way for the promised single budget implementation from April 1st, 2026.

“Mr Chairman, a lot needs to be done between now and next month by your committee and critical stakeholders to prevent the continuation of multiple budget implementation,” he said.

Similarly, Senator Francis Fadaunsi (Osun East) said poor budget funding had persisted, stressing that liabilities from the 2024 budget had yet to be settled.

“I concur with my colleague from our state on the yet to be fully implemented 2024 budget because the affected unpaid contractors are still carrying placards around.

“This committee must reach out to the critical stakeholders for the required tidying up of 2024 and 2025 budgets before 1st April 2026,” he said.