KANO, Nigeria — Rabiu Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano State, has been implicated in a plot to dethrone Emir Aminu Ado Bayero and reinstate Muhammadu Sanusi II as the Emir of Kano.
This revelation comes from a leaked phone conversation obtained by PRNigeria, a leading fact-check news platform.
According to an emailed statement from PRNigeria to The Trent on Monday, May 27, 2024, the leaked audio clip, which has been authenticated, captures a conversation between Kwankwaso and an associate discussing the removal of Bayero and the reinstatement of Sanusi.
This contradicts Kwankwaso’s recent claims in a BBC interview, in which he denied any involvement in the confusion surrounding the dissolution of the five Emirates and Sanusi’s return.
The Kano state House of Assembly recently repealed the law signed by former governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje that established five new Emirates, thereby enabling Governor Abba Yusuf to remove Bayero and reinstate Sanusi.
While Kwankwaso, Governor Yusuf’s political mentor, had publicly stated he was unaware of Bayero’s impending removal, the leaked conversation suggests otherwise.
In the phone call, Kwankwaso asks his associate if the plan to replace Bayero with Sanusi is proceeding smoothly.
The associate confirms that everything is going according to plan and mentions that Sanusi has taken over the main palace in Kano city.
PRNigeria subjected the audio to an authenticity test using speech recognition software, which confirmed the voices in the recording as genuine.
The test revealed a 90% accuracy level in matching the voice to Kwankwaso’s known public voice, ruling out the possibility of deepfake technology.
Here is the transcript of the conversation:
Caller: Salamu Alaikum, Your Excellency, sir.
Kwankwaso: Ameen, Ameen.
Caller: Well done, sir.
Kwankwaso: Ehen, thank you.
Caller: Are we deciding on the planned gathering?
Kwankwaso: It has been postponed till Monday.
Caller: Okay, let me inform them at the venue.
Kwankwaso: Because of the current situation, it won’t be pleasant. It’s better to concentrate and entirely focus on the issue at hand first. By Monday, we do that other one.
Caller: My thoughts exactly.
Kwankwaso: Is that our own Emir’s Palace filled with a crowd of people?
Caller: Yes, there are so many people.
Kwankwaso: Okay…I learned the other emir had been taken to Nasarawa (Palace), right?
Caller: Yes, they took him to Nasarawa Palace, but the main Emir’s Palace has a lot of people.
Kwankwaso: Okay, great.
Caller: There are enough forces there.
Kwankwaso: No problem.
Caller: Many people have trooped out.
Kwankwaso: That is great.
Caller: Are you going to hold back a bit.
Kwankwaso: yes, I am around.
Kwankwaso: okay (Hails Kwankwaso?)
The leaked conversation has sparked controversy, as it suggests that Kwankwaso played a pivotal role in the political manoeuvres leading to Bayero’s dethronement and Sanusi’s return.
This development has further complicated the already tense political situation in Kano, with accusations and counter-accusations flying between different political factions.
As the situation continues to unfold, the people of Kano and political observers across Nigeria are keenly watching for further developments and official responses from the involved parties.
