The politics behind Sanusi's emergence
Only simpletons would dismiss the kind of vicious politics that emit from the palaces of the nation's traditional rulers.
Contestants for elective political offices and their supporters have the right to appeal the outcome of an election, and when they fail, they can persevere till another election within four years.
The politics of the palace, however, stretches beyond imagination of men.
It has now emerged that many traditional rulers from the north were on the same wavelength with the presidency in piling pressure to stop erstwhile governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi from succeeding the late Emir Ado Bayero.
The battle for the succession to the throne was shaped in two dimensions. On one part as has been generally reported was the vicious opposition of the presidency to the emergence of Lamido Sanusi as successor to the quiet and reserved Bayero.
Sanusi was suspended by President Goodluck Jonathan from office as governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN last February and his emergence as emir of the nation's second most influential emirate could not but have been unsettling given that he had not been cleared of the charges leveled against him.
But not so for the opposition which profited from Sanusi's not too few darts directed at the presidency. Within twenty four hours after the burial of the late Bayero, opposition leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was in Kano reportedly piling pressure on Governor Rabiu Kwankwanso.
On the other hand, the kingmakers who by the rules have the responsibility of short listing three princes for the throne were under another kind of pressure. Vanguard learnt that several traditional rulers from across the north also put pressure on the kingmakers against Sanusi. The opposition to Sanusi from the northern traditional rulers was not necessarily because of the political or moral issues that fanned the opposition raised by the presidency.
The northern Emirs, Saturday Vanguard learnt, were mostly supportive of the first son of the late Emir who is the Ciroma Kano, Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Ado Bayero.
The reason for their support for him, it was gathered, was to help set a tradition in Northern Nigeria that could see their own sons being favoured to succeed them in future.
The kingmakers, it was learnt, however, saw through this and in their own permutations believed that instituting that tradition of first sons succeeding Emirs would dilute the power and influence of kingmakers.
Some sources say that such consideration propelled the kingmakers to shortlist Lamido Sanusi among the candidates for the succession.
It has, however, remained a matter of contention whether he was number one on the kingmakers' list submitted to the governor. The governor under the law has the right to pick any one of the three names submitted to him by the kingmakers.
Sources claim that Lamido Sanusi was the third in the list and Ciroma first. Perhaps, it was based on this order or the shortlist that leaked to the press that prompted the initial congratulatory message by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
The PDP has recovered to congratulate its one time mortal foe, Lamido Sanusi.
But as at press time, the presidency was yet to congratulate the former CBN governor. President Jonathan who has been the butt of several criticisms as not a strong leader has this time decided to hold his dignity. Perhaps he has weighed the moral burden on him congratulating a controversial man and the opportunity cost to his re-election by distancing from the 15th Emir of Kano Vanguard