Muhammadu Sanusi II, the reinstated Emir of Kano, was absent at the state burial of former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, due to an official assignment in the United Kingdom, a close associate has confirmed.
Sanusi’s aide, Muhammadu Dallatu, said that the monarch was out of the country and expected to return to Nigeria on Wednesday. “The Emir will not attend. He’s not even in the country. He travelled to London for an official engagement and is expected back on Wednesday,” Dallatu stated.
Buhari, who died at age 82 in a London hospital on Sunday, was laid to rest at his residence in Daura, Katsina State, in accordance with Islamic rites.
Further findings revealed that Emir Sanusi was seen on Saturday participating in the 2025 Access Bank Polo Tournament held in Surrey, England. He reportedly mingled with notable global figures, including former Chelsea manager and England national team boss Thomas Tuchel.
In contrast, the 15th Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, attended the late president’s burial in Daura. His media aide, Abubakar Naisa, confirmed the development. “Yes, His Highness Aminu Ado Bayero left Kano this morning for Daura to pay his last respects,” he said. “He is attending the burial alongside the Emirs of Kazaure and Dutse.”
The presence of Bayero, Sanusi’s rival in a deepening emirate leadership crisis, has further spotlighted the ongoing tussle over Kano’s traditional throne. Sanusi, who originally served as Emir from 2014 until his controversial removal in 2020 under former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, was reinstated in May 2024 amid legal and political disputes still unfolding.
The burial ceremony of the late president became yet another symbolic stage in the struggle for legitimacy between the two men who both claim the mantle of Kano’s royal leadership.
