A popular historian at Bayero University, Kano, BUK, Tijjani Naniya, has said that people in the state will not condone attempts by the state government to drag the state’s revered emirate council into the murky waters of politics.

The university don stated this while reacting to the alleged move by Kano State government to weaken the power of Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II by creating four rival emirate councils in Karaye, Bichi, Rano and Gaya.

DAILY NIGERIAN reports that insiders had said the Governor Abdullahi Ganduje was on a collision course with the emir, following the emir’s alleged support for the opposition PDP candidate in the last governorship election, Abba Yusuf.

However, in an interview with Freedom Radio on Tuesday, Mr Naniya lamented the attempt of some politicians to interfere in the affairs of the emirate council.

While describing the attempt by the state government to create more emirates as “traditionally bad”, Mr Naniya lamented that the decision would make Kano a laughing stock in global communities.

He recalled that the defunct Rano, Gaya, Bichi and Karaye emirate councils existed for over 800 years, adding that, “even at that time, they were conquered by Kano emirate and a truce was reached that they should be answerable to the Kano emirate.”

“So, you see, since at that time, those emirate council were under Kano emirate. Let me tell you, even at that time, it was the Kano emirate that appointed the emirs to rule those four emirate councils. They were selected among the jihadists that participated in the war then.

“Traditionally, Hausa emirate council does not condone interference. There was an attempt to weaken the emirate in 1980 to 1981, but the decision did not augur well at that time.

“But it is unbecoming that, after virtually all our cultural heritage were bastardized, the only remaining important institution to be destroyed by politicians. We will not condone this. This will be impossible.

“This Kano emirate council is the only traditional institution we are proud of,  so it is unwholesome to attempt to destroy it,” he said.

The former commissioner also wondered why the state government would make that decision while traditionally, those defunct emirate councils did not decry any marginalisation, or complain of oppression by the Kano emirate council.

He warned that, any attempt to destroy the image of the emirate council by some politicians would not also end well.

Recall that in a move aimed at weakening the power of Kano Emirate, the state governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, sought the approval of the state House of Assembly to create more emirates in the state.

At the plenary session on Monday, the Speaker of the House, Alhaji Kabiru Alhassan Rurum read a letter signed by one Ibrahim Salisu and others, seeking the creation of new emirates in Karaye, Bichi, Rano and Gaya.