Kano, Rivers Crises: Presidency In Quandary Over Legal, Political Solutions

President Bola Tinubu is in a fix over the crises rocking Kano State with the pronouncement of the Federal High Court, Kano nullifying the reinstatement of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as the Emir and the political imbroglio going on in Rivers State.

Sources, who confided in Sunday Telegraph said that President Tinubu does not want to exacerbate the situation in Kano as both dramatis personae in the matter are very close to him. Hence, his decision not to take a stand, which would seem to favour one party or the other.

One of our sources said: “The president is actually in a big dilemma. People are reaching out to him lately. Two of the key players in the Kano imbroglio are also his own. “He is torn between the chairman of his party and one of his strongest economic allies over time, who has provided him support in terms of advice. That is the current Emir – Sanusi. That is the dilemma of the president. Who should he support?

“Of course, we know that some leaders of his party are asking him to be careful, so that he does not throw Abdullahi Ganduje, his party chairman under the bus. Because there is a link between Ganduje when the fight started between them (when Ganduje dethroned Sanusi) as the Emir, when he was the governor over scathing remarks over some of his policies and things that happened after the scandal over the Dollar saga.

“The president is taking his time and he has told his aides to hands off and that anybody who is aggrieved should go to court. The president has said that he would not take any action that would swing the matter one way or the other. What he would do is to guide and ensure that there is no breakdown of law and order.” Another source close to the inner workings of the Villa said that the National Security Adviser (Nuhu Ribadu), is under firm instruction to ensure that everybody remained neutral and that the only pronouncement of the court should be strictly followed.

Also, the Attorney General of the Federation (Lateef Fagbemi), has also been instructed to continue to study the situation. The Chief Justice has also been told to keep an eye on the conflicting judicial pronouncements, so that it does not deepen the crisis. Some tacit warnings have also gone to some judges in the case relating to the matter and so it is a deepening crisis and the president is in a dilemma. “Furthermore, the two key actors are directly or indirectly linked to him (Mr. President) over time and his dilemma is what he does in such a situation.

“That is why he opted for legal instead of a political solution,” our source said, adding, “if he goes for a political situation, it would one way or the other swing it one side. If it is resolved legally, the president is on the sidelines” Our Source continued: “There are a lot of behindthe-scenes activities going on and some of his aides have been told to do the right thing and to follow the case and advice Mr. President appropriately according to the law.” On the Rivers case, Sunday Telegraph gathered that, “it is very, very messy.” Governors, especially sitting governors are behind Siminalayi Fubara and they believe that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory(FCT) Nyesom Wike is overreaching himself.

While they also blame Fubara for showing his hands too early before consolidating his position, they attributed that to a lack of experience. “They told him that he cannot fight the man without consolidating his position. They said that some of the peace efforts did not work. So, they are asking Mr. President to ensure that there is no breakdown of law and order in that state.”

The Source said: “In the Rivers case, two things would happen over the weekend. If there is break down of law and order, the president would resolve it. Whatever happens, the president is also in a dilemma. “The governors are pushing that you cannot just declare a state of emergency or some persons there are by their actions baying for blood and stoking for war. They want to push out Fubara at all costs and the Fubara supporters are also saying that he is staying there at all costs.

“Hawks very close to Mr. President are baying for blood. They want a state of emergency to be declared and their reason for this is that they do not want a situation the thing will escalate. But the doves are telling the president that declaring a state of emergency would the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the beginning of the crisis, paving the way for the emergence of Rt. Hon. Oko Jumbo, who is loyal to Fubara as speaker. As Amaewhule and the other lawmakers await the judgement of the Court of Appeal on their alleged defection to the APC, the camp of Wike have intensified efforts at the National Assembly to counter Fubara’s smooth ride since he launched his offensive after the impeachment scare.

Wike’s men in the House of Reps want the leadership of the House to declare a state of emergency in the state, citing violence and Fubara’s alleged inability to stop his supporters from staging protests cast the president as being partisan and could even worsen the political situation. Not only for Rivers but it could have a reverberating effect on the one in Kano. Whether we like it or not, there is also a test of power going on in Kano.

“There is a dilemma of sorts and the number of persons, who are also very close to Mr. President are calling him to ask one of his ministers to sheathe his sword. “How the president handles the Rivers crisis would go a long way to show his deftness in handling the delicate political situations in the country.

This is a very testy one for Mr. President. He is caught between doing what is right and also not to be seen to be bowing to political pressure.” However, that is on the card. If the situation degenerates and reaches the destruction of lives and property, a state of emergency could be on the card, according to insiders close to the president.

However, it is not something that they would do without due consultations with those who matter. He is being careful. “He is still appealing to all parties and some of the governors are also appealing to the president to tell Wike to allow Fubara to breathe and of course, several people are also blaming Fubara for not allowing the last peace efforts to come to fruition.

“They are also appealing to him to sheathe his sword. The Governor’s Forum, they are trying to broker a peace and they believe that things should not degenerate to the level of declaring a state of emergency,” Our Source added.

(Sunday Telegraph)