Undermining democracy: Troubling deployment of military in Kano’s emirship dispute

Reinstatement of Emir Sanusi Lamido is causing ripples

By Sadiq Muhammed

My take on the recent tussle over the Emirship of Kano and the reckless deployment of our military to meddle in a matter that the civil defense and police can handle signifies that we are in deep trouble. Enforcing an order from a court that lacks jurisdiction over the matter, by a judge who is not even in the country, raises serious questions. Do the police not have a legal department with lawyers who should know that a federal high court doesn’t have jurisdiction over such matters? Who signed the order when the judge was not present or even in the country? Finally, who deployed the soldiers? Whoever it is, the president cannot be absolved from blame.
If, as claimed by the Kano state Deputy Governor, it was the National Security Adviser (NSA) who, without the president and commander-in-chief’s order, deployed the brigade commander, airforce commander, director of the State Security Service, and a commissioner of police, then this is an affront to the president’s authority. It is disrespectful and even dangerous, as a brigade could be used to carry out a coup d’etat. If the president was aware of these actions, then his conduct is undemocratic and dictatorial, as the matter is purely within the state’s jurisdiction, given the governor the constitutional authority to handle it.
Either way, President Tinubu is complicit. If the NSA acted unilaterally, in a more accountable country, the NSA would already be facing serious questions about national security, likely leading to resignation or even conviction for crimes against the state. It is crucial for us to know who gave the orders. Either way, we are not safe as a democratic nation.

Muhammed can be reached at [email protected]
08056859039