Kano’s two rival emirs, Muhammadu Sanusi II and Aminu Ado Bayero, have suspended all Eid al-Adha durbar activities following security concerns over planned parallel celebrations in the northern Nigerian state.
The announcements were made separately on Thursday after both camps had earlier indicated plans to hold competing Sallah durbars during the Eid festivities.
Speaking on behalf of Emir Sanusi, the Matawallen Kano, Alhaji Aliyu Ibrahim, said the Kano Emirate Council received security reports warning that some individuals were planning to exploit the celebrations to disturb public peace.
“The emirate council received security reports indicating that some individuals were planning to use the durbar celebrations to disrupt public peace and create chaos in Kano,” Ibrahim said.
He added that the decision to suspend the durbar was aimed at preventing any breakdown of law and order during the celebrations.
“The decision to suspend the activities was taken to avoid any breakdown of law and order and to preserve the peaceful atmosphere in the state during the Eid celebrations,” he said.
In a separate announcement, Sarkin Dawaki Babba, Alhaji Aminu Babba Dan’agundi, said Emir Bayero had also suspended all durbar activities in compliance with directives from security agencies.
“The decision was taken in compliance with police directives issued to ensure peace and stability in Kano,” Dan’agundi said.
“We are law-abiding citizens and will fully comply with the order of the security agencies in the interest of maintaining peace in the state,” he added.
The rival emirs had on Wednesday staged parallel Hawan Sallah processions on different routes across Kano, heightening tensions among residents amid fears that separate durbars could trigger clashes between supporters.
The emirship dispute began in 2024 after Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf reinstated Sanusi four years after his removal by former governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who had replaced him with Bayero.
The legal battle over the throne has since moved through several courts, repeatedly disrupting one of Kano’s most prominent cultural traditions.
Nigeria’s Supreme Court recently adjourned judgment in the case until April 2027, effectively maintaining the status quo pending a final ruling.
