The 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, has clarified that reports attributing controversial statements to him regarding President Bola Tinubu’s policies were misrepresented and sensationalized.
During a memorial lecture held in honor of the late human rights lawyer Chief Gani Fawehinmi on Wednesday, Sanusi was quoted as saying he had chosen not to comment on the economy or the government’s reforms, implying that doing so would only benefit the Tinubu administration.
The purported remarks sparked criticism, including from the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Idris Mohammed, who accused Sanusi of placing personal interests above national responsibility. Mohammed described Sanusi’s alleged stance as unbecoming of a leader from an institution embodying fairness and justice.
In response, Sanusi took to his X (formerly Twitter) account on Friday to express disappointment over how his statements were taken out of context and sensationalized. He clarified that his remarks were aimed at supporting the government’s reforms and acknowledging the sacrifices Nigerians are making due to years of economic mismanagement.
“They took one paragraph out of context and sensationalized it,” Sanusi wrote. “Nothing about the nuanced support given to the government—arguments supporting the reforms, acknowledgment of the price we are paying for decades of mismanagement before Tinubu, and hope for the future. I emphasized the need to pray, support the system, and highlight the positives.”
Sanusi reiterated his belief in the importance of national unity and collective effort to overcome the country’s economic challenges.
