I’m Not Interested In Politics – Sanusi II

ABUJA - The 14th Fulani emir of Kano and Khalifa Tijaniya in Nigeria, Muhammad Sanusi II has said he is not interested in politics. He said the reason is not just because he is not interested, but that he is not prepared for politics.

He made the remarks at a dinner that was organized in his honor by a social-political group, Nigerian Platform, in Abuja on Sunday night.

“I never hid the fact that my ambition was to be the Emir of Kano. I have never hidden my intentions about anything. So, if I say I am not interested in politics it is because I’m not interested in politics. If I wanted to go into politics I will come out and say I’m contesting for the President of Nigeria. I am a Nigerian. But I’m not interested.

“This is because I haven’t prepared myself for politics. I had prepared myself for a long time for academic life, I prepared myself for the Emir, I prepared myself for banking and finance but I have no one day experience in politics. You can’t just jump into politics, you learn,” he stated.

He was rumored to be nursing presidential ambition ahead of the coming general elections, with many saying he would likely pitch tent with one of the major political parties for a possible presidential slot.

The former Emir who said he had applied to study for his Doctorate Degree in Law at the University of London, stated that after his Ph.D., he is going back to academics, a career he practiced before venturing into banking.

The former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) also opined that Nigeria is challenged by the twin factors of fear and greed, which he said could be conquered for the country to emerge as a great country. “The reality is that two things destroy this country: fear and greed.

"And if we can all conquer that, we should be able to make this country the great country that it should be,” he stated.

Sanusi said he would be writing his Ph.D. thesis on the “Codification of Muslim Family Law as Instrument of Social Reform.” 

He lamented the fact that existing laws in the area of rights of the girl child and women were not being implemented in Nigeria. 

“It has not stopped me from searching for it, writing books on it, publishing on it because if this generation does not listen, maybe the next will.

“Maybe the time has not come for northern Nigerian Muslims to accept that it is wrong to beat your wife, maybe the time has not come for them to understand that they should not marry off their daughters at twelve or thirteen, maybe the time has not come for them to understand that even if you cannot maintain a wife, you should marry four and you can have fifteen children and leave them on the streets. Maybe the time has not come but it doesn’t mean it is not the right time. Maybe 10 or 20 years from now, we will be back there. The truth will always be the truth.

"You can ignore it but if it has consequences, you can never escape those consequences,” he added.

Earlier, the national coordinator of Nigerian Platform, Dr. Aliyu Modibbo said the event was to celebrate Sanusi’s “kindness, compassion, courage, loyalty, intellect, generosity and many more virtues which are attributes of HRH Muhammad Sanusi II, Khalifa Tijjaniya in Nigeria” and also pray and remember its founding father, late Ahmed Joda.

The former deputy governor of the CBN, Kingsley Moghalu, said Sanusi was a destiny helper to him, describing him as a kind person, loyal to his friends, but added that the former emir was “utterly and politically incorrect. That’s a fact. And that always leads to friction between us.”

Moghalu said, “You learn a lot from being a friend with Sanusi. You always have something to learn from him. dared to speak truth to power. You have to be a man of vision, courage to carry out the reforms we carried out in the Central Bank under him. My life has been value-added because of my association with you. I thank you very much.”

Presidential candidate of the National Republican Convention (NRC) in the annulled  June 12, 1,993 presidential elections, Bashir Tofa said the former emir is known for his courage, kindness, and generosity. “He’s a very easy-going man,” he said.

Former minister of budget and national planning, Dr. Shamsuddeen Usman said it was very difficult to describe Sanusi. 

“Emir Sanusi is our own Mandela (from prison to palace). Mohammad Sanusi developed empathy for his traducers,” he said.

According to Usman, Sanusi’s major achievement was the reform of Islamic law that was pro-women. The law sort to promote girl and women rights.