I doubt if Buhari intervened to stop Sanusi’s dethronement — Abdulsalami

A former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar, has expressed doubt that President Muhammadu had intervened to save the former emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II from dethronement by Kano State Government.

Mr Abubakar was the chairman of the reconciliation committee set up by the presidency to intervene and proffer solution to the protracted feud between the emir and the governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje.

In an interview with Voice of America Hausa Service, Mr Abubakar said his committee did its best by organizing a separate meeting with the governor and the emir, then a meeting with the committee and the parties and finally left the governor and the emir to discuss.

“After conclusion of the assignment, we realised that there was amicable resolution to the crisis. Surprisingly, this is what happened at last,” he said.

Asked by the interviewer whether the committee had achieved its mandate, the former military ruler said: “Well, I can say so in view of the latest development. In my view, all the committee’s efforts are wasted.”

On President Muhammadu Buhari’s alleged nonchalance to the crisis, he said: “I can’t really say whether Buhari has a hand in the matter because I am currently not in Nigeria. But before I left the country, we submitted our report to him, and he expressed willingness to intervene in the matter in order to have amicable resolution, despite being a constitutional matter. I really don’t know if he had intervened.”

Asked whether it was the president’s silence that led to the emir’s dethronement, Mr Abubakar said: “Well, as I have said, I don’t know whether he intervened or not. But if he actually intervened, I will be surprised if we would find ourselves in this situation.