El-Rufai sacks chief of staff who called Sanusi ‘former emir of Kano’

By Ogundele Olanrewaju

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has reportedly sacked and redeployed his Chief of Staff, Muhammad Sani Abdullahi, two weeks after addressing Lamido Sanusi Lamido as a “former Emir of Kano.”

National Daily News recalls that Abdullahi, while speaking at the Kaduna Investment Summit in September, has introduced Sanusi as former emir.

Sanusi, who was dethroned and replaced by Ado Bayero following corruption allegations in March 2019, took exception to Abdullahi’s description.

Speaking at the event, Sanusi, a former CBN governor, said he was not a former emir.

He said: “When I listened to the chief of staff… I will call him former chief of staff… You will understand why I call you ‘former’ later.

“Next time don’t call me ‘former Emir.’ There is nothing like that.”

A video of the exchange had drawn reactions on social media after Sani Abdullahi’s removal.

In a cabinet reshuffle on Monday, El-Rufai removed Abdullahi who had served as his Chief of Staff since 2019.