Kano residents have expressed concerns over the plan by the 15th and 16th Emirs of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero and Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, to hold Sallah Durbar, as part of the traditional Sallah festivities.

A cross-section of the residents who spoke to The PUNCH on Monday expressed fear that the actions of the rival monarchs could cause trouble in the state.

The crisis in the Kano Emirate began on May 23, 2024, when the government removed Aminu Ado Bayero and reinstated Lamido Sanusi as the 16th Emir of Kano.

Sanusi had been deposed four years earlier by former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, who split the emirate into five.

The ongoing legal battles following Bayero’s removal further complicated the situation, with conflicting court rulings yet to establish the legitimacy of either Sanusi or Bayero.

On March 19, 2025, Kano State Governor, Kabir Yusuf, announced that he would unveil the Kano Emirate Council and ordered that preparation should commence for Sallah Durbar.

“Governor Yusuf emphasised that the people of the state eagerly anticipate the tradition of wearing new clothes on Sallah day, lining the streets to witness their Emirs on horseback, and exchanging greetings,” a statement by the governor’s spokesman, Bature Dawakin-Tofa stated.

In a counter move, the government-deposed emir, Bayero, also wrote a letter to the state police command, notifying it of his intention to hold the traditional event during the upcoming Sallah celebrations in the state.

Bayero, through his Private Secretary, Abdullahi Haruna Kwaru, notified security agencies, especially the police, about his schedule for the traditional Sallah festivities marking the end of Ramadan.



https://punchng.com/kano-residents-fear-unrest-as-rival-emirs-plan-sallah-durbar/