After nearly a year of bitter relations, President Goodluck Jonathan and the Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, met Thursday in Abuja and reconciled differences that once drove both men to the extremes of their offices.
Sanusi, a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, was fired by the president in February after accusing the government of diverting $20 billion oil revenues.
The government denied the claim, and in turn, accused Mr. Sanusi of “financial recklessness”.
After leaving office, Mr. Sanusi was appointed the Emir of Kano in June, assuming one of the most powerful traditional stools in Nigeria.
His appointment by Kano State’s Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, a member opposition All Progressives Congress, was opposed by the presidency which ordered the emir’s office blockaded for days.
The emir reportedly initiated peace moves, and the two men met for the first time in July during the breaking of the Muslim fast, a yearly routine in which the president meets top government officials who are Muslims and other prominent Islamic leaders in the country.
Our sources say Thursday’s meeting was essentially for reconciliation between the two sides.
The emir was accompanied to the meeting by all senior members of the Kano Emirate council, while Vice President Namadi Sambo, the National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, Attorney General, Mohammed Adoke, and the Foreign Affairs Minister, Aminu Wali also attended the meeting.
Officials at the meeting say the president urged peace, and announced that he had nothing against the emir and that he had forgotten everything that happened.
In return, Mr. Sanusi also preached peace saying he too had let go of the past.
The president and the emir later met privately for about 15 minutes, according to our sources.
Mr. Sanusi and his entourage left for Kano shortly after, and were on their way to the Abuja airport at the time of this report.
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