APC Chairman Holds Closed-Door Meeting With Emir Sanusi in Kano
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has held a closed-door meeting with the Emir of Kano, Khalifa Muhammadu Sanusi II, during a visit to the monarch’s palace in Kano.
Yilwatda visited Sanusi at the historic Rumfa Palace on Saturday, August 22, 2026, shortly after the Emir returned to Kano from Abuja.
The meeting was described as a courtesy visit. However, the issues discussed between the two men were not disclosed.
A close associate of the Emir, Muhammad Dallatu, confirmed the meeting on Sunday. He said the APC national chairman arrived at the palace after Sanusi returned from Abuja.
Dallatu said, “The APC national chairman paid a courtesy visit to His Highness, the Emir of Kano, at the Rumfa Palace on Saturday.”
He added, “The Emir had just returned from Abuja when the meeting took place, and the two held a closed-door meeting at the palace.”
The meeting lasted behind closed doors, with neither the APC nor the Kano Emirate releasing details of the discussions.
Dallatu also made it clear that he could not speak on the matters raised during the private engagement.
“The meeting was a closed-door engagement, so I cannot disclose the details of what was discussed between His Highness and the APC national chairman,” he said.
Kano remains one of the most politically important states in northern Nigeria. The state has a large voting population and has remained central to political calculations involving the presidency.
The visit is also coming months after the APC strengthened its political position in Kano following the defection of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and several members of the Kwankwasiyya political camp to the ruling party.
Yilwatda had earlier visited Governor Yusuf in Kano in February 2026. During that engagement, he reaffirmed the APC’s 60/40 leadership-sharing arrangement between the governor’s political camp and existing members of the party in the state.
He also described the growing presence of party leaders and supporters as a sign of unity within the Kano APC.
The Emir himself remains an influential figure beyond the traditional institution.
Sanusi is a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and has continued to attract national attention because of his interventions on economic, social and governance matters.
His return to the throne was as a result of the Kano Emirate crisis which dates back to 2019.
The then administration of former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje changed the emirate structure and created additional emirates in the state.
The move eventually led to the removal of Sanusi from the throne in March 2020.
Ganduje’s administration subsequently installed Aminu Ado Bayero as Emir of Kano.
The development created two competing camps around the traditional institution and generated a prolonged political and legal dispute.
The situation changed in May 2024 when the Kano State House of Assembly repealed the law that had created the five emirates.
Governor Abba Yusuf subsequently assented to the legislation and reinstated Sanusi as Emir of Kano.
The return of Sanusi, however, did not immediately bring an end to the dispute.
Aminu Ado Bayero and his supporters challenged the process in court. Several legal proceedings followed, with different courts issuing orders and judgments at various stages of the dispute.
In July 2024, a Kano State High Court barred Bayero and the other deposed emirs from presenting themselves as emirs.
However, Neither the APC chairman nor the Emir made any public statement on the purpose of the meeting beyond the description of the visit as a courtesy call.
There was also no announcement of any agreement, political decision or resolution following the meeting.
For now, the contents of the discussion remain private.
More details to follow…
