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I Won’t Discuss Reforms With This Government,” Declares Emir Sanusi

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1 year ago

January 16, 2025

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FILE: Muhammadu Sanusi II

As the Federal Government battles to overcome multiple economic and security challenges, it will not get any help from one of the country’s most prominent traditional rulers, the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi.

The Emir, a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, made his position and plans concerning the economy and the government known in Lagos on Wednesday at the Memorial Lecture of Chief Gani Fawehinmi.

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Ikeja Branch organised the lecture with the theme, “Bretton Woods and the African Economies: Can Nigerians Survive Another Structural Adjustment Programme?”

“I have decided not to speak about the economy or the reforms, nor to explain anything regarding them. If I explained, it would only benefit this government, and I don’t want to aid this government,” Emir Sanusi said at the lecture, which he chaired.

The Emir who made a stunning return to the ancient and revered throne in Kano last year, four years after being deposed by the state government led then by Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, is unhappy with how the Federal Government has acted towards him.

His return to power under new Kano Governor Abba Yusuf is being challenged in court by the deposed 15th Emir, Aminu Ado Bayero, and there have been claims that the Federal Government favours Bayero, claims the FG has denied.

“I choose not to help this government. You see, they are my friends. If they fail to act like friends, I will not act like one,” Emir Sanusi said, explaining his decision.

“I observe their actions, and they lack credible individuals who can effectively explain their policies. However, I’m not here to assist (them). I began by offering support, but I’ve decided to stop.

“I will not discuss the matter any further. Let them come forward and explain to Nigerians why the policies they have pursued have been implemented. Meanwhile, I am enjoying a nice movie with popcorn in hand.

’People were warned’

Although the Emir will not offer advice to the Federal Government or comment on ongoing reforms, he shared his thoughts on why the country was in the state it currently is in – unheeded warnings.

“I will say one thing. What we are going through today is at least in part, not totally, at least in part, a necessary consequence of decades of irresponsible economic management,” he said.

“People were warned decades ago that if they continued down this path, this is where they would end up. They chose not to listen.

“Is everything being done today, correct? No.”

‘Return To Foundational Values’

For Emir Sanusi, rather than focus on the economy, it was best to focus on the late legal luminary for who the lecture was organised.

“For now, I am here to honour Chief Gani Fawehinmi,” Emir Sanusi, before going on to call for a return to the foundational values of integrity and highlighting the lessons of the late Senior Advocate of Nigeria’s life.

“What we need to do is revisit our values. Do we truly possess those values? Are we genuinely committed to our work? What is the integrity with which we approach our tasks? For someone like Gani, these are the lessons from his life,” he said.

“I am here to remind us all of what he stood for, to encourage us, and to plead with us to return, as I mentioned recently, to the distinction between who we are and what we are. Our identity is defined by those qualities that Gani embodies. They revolve around our values – what we can control and who we are.

These values, the Emir believes, matter regardless of ethnicity, religion and region.

“If you are a thief, you are a thief—whether you are Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Muslim, Christian, a lawyer, or otherwise. That is your identity,” he said.

“You could be from the north or the south, wealthy or poor, a president or an emir. These are aspects of your identity. You may not like it, but that’s the reality. Can we please begin to reflect and stop taking pride in superficial, misleading distinctions?”

‘An indelible mark’

Apart from Emir Sanusi, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, (SAN), lauded the enduring legacy of the late Fawehinmi, describing him as a symbol of courage and justice.

“The late Chief Gani Fawehinmi left an indelible mark on human rights advocacy, public service, and the legal profession,” Keyamo, who was represented by a Director in the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, Mr. Henry Agbebire, said in his goodwill message.

“His legacy inspires us all with its courage, resilience, and unwavering commitment to justice for the common man.”

He added, “As someone whose human rights activism began under the mentorship of Gani Fawehinmi, I take pride in the continued relevance of issues he championed, including citizens’ rights, accountable governance, and equitable public policy. These principles guide my work today.”

The minister was optimistic that “the deliberations will offer solutions that can guide our nation towards economic progress and fairness”.

The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe (SAN); the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice Lagos State, Lawal Pedro (SAN), and human rights activist Femi Falana (SAN), were among the top guests at the lecture.

Related Topics:Govt Reforms Sanusi TINUBU

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International News

Israel Says It had Struck Two Naval Missile Production Sites In Tehran

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22 hours ago

March 25, 2026

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The Israeli military announced on Wednesday it had struck two naval cruise missile production facilities operating under Iran’s ministry of defence in Tehran.

“In recent days, the Israeli air force acting on IDF intelligence struck two key naval cruise missile production sites in Tehran,” the military said.

It said the facilities were used to “develop and manufacture long-range naval cruise missiles, which are capable of rapidly destroying targets at sea and on land”.

The strikes “represent another step in deepening the damage done to the regime’s military production infrastructure”, the military added.

Last week, the military announced its fighter jets had struck several Iranian naval ships in the Caspian Sea, including vessels equipped with anti-submarine missiles.

AFP

International News

2025 ‘Deadliest Year’ Yet For Red Sea Migrants, UN Reports 922 Deaths

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22 hours ago

March 25, 2026

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The number of migrants who died on the “Eastern Route” from the Horn of Africa to the Arabian Peninsula doubled to a record high of 922 last year, the UN migration agency said Wednesday.

Tens of thousands of migrants from Ethiopia, Somalia and neighbouring countries take the route across the Red Sea each year, mostly from Djibouti to Yemen, in search of work as labourers or domestic workers in wealthy Gulf countries.

“2025 was the deadliest year ever recorded on the Eastern migration route… with 922 people dead or missing — double the number from the previous year,” Tanja Pacifico, head of mission for the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Djibouti, told AFP.

The majority of victims were from Ethiopia, the second most-populous country in Africa with more than 130 million people. It is plagued by multiple internal conflicts and deep poverty.

“IOM remains fully committed to working alongside the government of Djibouti to promote safe and dignified migration pathways, in order to prevent further tragedies,” said Pacifico.

Many migrants who cross the Red Sea find themselves stuck in Yemen, the poorest country on the Arabian Peninsula, which has been embroiled in a civil war for nearly a decade, and some even choose to return.

Rapid economic growth in Ethiopia — estimated to reach around 10 percent in 2026 — could encourage less migration, IOM says, but that is mitigated by high inflation, also around 10 percent in February.

AFP

International News

Denmark Faces Lengthy Negotiations To Form A Government

Published

22 hours ago

March 25, 2026

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Election workers recount ballots in the Marselisborg Hallen in Aarhus, Denmark on March 25, 2026. (Photo by Mikkel Berg Pedersen / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP) /

Denmark’s political parties began the thorny process of forming a government Wednesday, with the centrist Moderates as kingmaker after the prime minister’s Social Democrats scraped through a general election without a majority.

Greenland’s Inuit Ataqatigiit party member Naaja Nathanielsen (C) looks on in a polling station in Nuuk, on March 24, 2026, during the parliamentary election in Denmark (Photo by Oscar Scott Carl / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP) / Denmark OUT

Danes were braced for a weeks-long process as Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen seeks to consolidate power in the deeply splintered parliament after Tuesday’s snap vote.

Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen arrives at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen to inform the king about the election result one day after the parliamentary election on March 25, 2026. (Photo by Martin Sylvest / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP)

A left-wing bloc made up of five parties, including Frederiksen’s Social Democrats, won 84 seats; the right-wing and far-right claimed 77; and the Moderates won 14 in the election.

The Social Democrats posted their worst election score since 1903—though they remained Denmark’s largest single party, with 38 seats in the 179-seat parliament.

Chairwoman of the Social Democrats Mette Frederiksen attends a party leader debate hosted by Publicists’ Club one the day after the parliamentary election at the Confederation of Danish Industry’s building in Copenhagen on March 25, 2026. (Photo by Liselotte Sabroe / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP)

Frederiksen formally tendered her coalition government’s resignation to King Frederik on Wednesday, telling a televised party leader debate she wanted to try to form a centre-left government.

“The most realistic scenario” would be a coalition with the five parties on the left and the centre-right Moderates, she said.

But it is not certain the Moderates, led by Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, would agree to that.

“I don’t believe that Denmark needs policies aligned with” the leftist Red-Green Alliance, Lokke said.

Chairman of the Moderates Lars Loekke Rasmussen attends a party leader debate at the Confederation of Danish Industry’s building in Copenhagen on March 25, 2026, the day after the parliamentary election. (Photo by Liselotte Sabroe / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP) / Denmark OUT

King Frederik was to meet party leaders individually later Wednesday to determine who should be asked to try to form the next government.

“My expectation is that Mette Frederiksen will become prime minister,” University of Copenhagen political science professor Rune Stubager told reporters.

“But I don’t know with the backing of which parties, like the left wing or the right wing,” he said.

He noted that Lokke, a two-time former prime minister, would likely vie for the position of prime minister, even though he has adamantly denied any interest in the job.

“Danes want me and not another prime minister. I still have the backing to be able to continue on behalf of the Danish people,” Frederiksen insisted during the debate.

Frederiksen has for the past four years headed an unprecedented left-right coalition made up of her Social Democrats, the Moderates and the Liberals.

The Liberals have refused to continue in a Social Democrat-led government.

‘Too Hard To Say’

Danes are now prepared for long negotiations. After the 2022 election, the talks lasted six weeks.

“It’s a long process, which means the government won’t be formed and it will be quite difficult to pass laws during this period,” lamented Jesper Dyrfjeld Christensen, a 54-year-old engineer.

“It’s really too hard to say who will be part of the coalition,” admitted Stubager.

With 12 parties in parliament, the political landscape is jagged — though Denmark is accustomed to minority governments.

“To some extent, this is the way Danish politics works. You have a minority government in the centre which forms a majority with the left on some issues and with the right on others,” he explained.

The negotiations are expected to focus on economic and pension issues, pollution and immigration, he said.

The traditional far-right party, the Danish People’s Party, which has heavily influenced policy since the late 1990s but slumped in the 2022 election, more than tripled its result to 9.1 per cent of votes.

The three anti-immigration groups together garnered 17 per cent, a stable figure for Denmark’s populist right over the past two decades.

“If negotiations take place in the left-wing bloc with the moderates, then there will be more focus on green issues than on immigration,” Stubager said.

“But if, instead, the Moderates negotiate with the parties on the right, then the central issue will be immigration.”

Four seats in Denmark’s parliament are held by its two autonomous territories — two for Greenland and two for the Faroe Islands.

While the Faroese renewed the mandates of the two outgoing lawmakers, with one for each bloc, Greenland overwhelmingly backed the left-wing party and Naleraq, which advocates rapid independence from Denmark.

AFP