The family of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has rejected suggestions that the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, abandoned or neglected the former governor amid his ongoing legal challenges.
The family’s position followed an article by Professor Farooq Kperogi titled *“Sanusi and the Betrayal of El-Rufai,”* published in his column from Atlanta, in which he discussed the relationship between the former governor and the Kano monarch.
Responding to the article, El-Rufai’s wife, Asia Mohammad Ahmad, said Sanusi had continued to stand by the family.
In a post on her Facebook page, she said the Emir remained a father figure to the family and urged people to stop drawing conclusions about matters they did not know.
“I want to clarify that HH is with us and Mallam’s post has nothing to do with HRH SLS, so please stop alluding to things that you don’t know,” she wrote.
Ahmad also questioned the certainty of some of the conclusions contained in Kperogi’s article, noting that the columnist himself had acknowledged that there could be facts unknown to the public.
She said this further demonstrated the need for caution in interpreting the relationship between the Emir and the El-Rufai family.
Her position was supported by her son, Bello El-Rufai, who described Sanusi as a father to the family and said the monarch had continued to stand with them.
“Indeed, Emir Muhammadu Sanusi remains our father and he truly stands with us,” Bello said.
Several commenters on Ahmad’s Facebook page also argued that there was little the Emir could do regarding the legal issues involving the former Kaduna governor.
One of the contributors, Mallam Muhammad Bello, described Kperogi’s interpretation as misplaced, arguing that traditional rulers have limited powers over matters involving state authorities and legal proceedings.
He noted that the Emir of Kano, like other traditional rulers, operates within the authority of the state government and therefore may not be in a position to intervene in matters concerning El-Rufai.
“Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II, the Emir of Kano, just like any other Emir, is controlled by their governors and their powers lie with them. So I don’t see how the Emir of Kano will interfere in El-Rufai’s case,” he said.