Ado Bayero

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Sir Alhaji Dr. Ado Bayero (CFR, LLD, JP) (born July 25, 1930) is the current Emir of Kano in Nigeria, having held the position since 1963, and is also a former ambassador to Senegal. He is the son of the late Abdullahi Bayero dan Muhammad Abbas, himself an Emir of Kano. Bayero is the 13th Fulani emir since the Fulani War of Usman dan Fodio, when the Fulani took over the city-states of Hausa.

Second to his political influence in Nigeria, the current Emir of Kano is also renowned for his abundant wealth. Bayero maintains his massive fortune as both a stock investor and a large scale agricultural entrepreneur, with his financial influence extending beyond the shores of his home country^[1].

History

Ado Bayero is the Emir of Kano and the son of the popular emir of Kano, Abdullahi Bayero, who reigned for 27 years. Ado Bayero is the longest serving emir in the emirate of Kano's history. During his tenure, he has seen the kano emirate transformed from a native authority to community leadership. He is an influential spiritual and community leader in Northern Nigeria and his palace plays host to official visits by many government personnel and even strangers while he has sometimes played advisory roles in many governments. However, in 1981, Governor Abubakar Rimi restricted traditional homage paid by village heads from the state to Ado Bayero and also excised some domains out of his emirate and in 1984, a travel ban was placed on the emir and his friend Okunade Sijuwade. Though, the military are sometimes seen as relying on traditional rulers for support mostly by distancing themselves from politicians, many military regimes in the past also chipped away at powers of traditional rulers such as Bayero. Bayero is also a communal leader of an emirate that is sometimes the center of turbulence and a former chancellor of the University of Nigeria and the University of Ibadan. He is sometimes identified by a distinct turban (Rawani), hooded cloak, and a gown ensemble (Riga) while the displays of his horsemen are known for the enwrapped attention it garners from attentive audience. A complimentary praise epithet by Hausa singer Maizargardi praises Bayero's heritage and wealth and binds it with the responsibility of sharing the wealth with the people. He is also referenced as Dan Abdulahi Bayero and Jikan Abbas. As part of his public life working experience, Dr. Ado bayero served as the chief of the Kano police, a position equivalent to a commissioner of police today. Forty five years ago, Alhaji (Dr.) Ado Bayero took after the noble step of his progenitor; Sir Muhammadu Sunusi (his elder brother), Alhaji Abdullahi Bayero (his father) and Muhammadu Abbas (his grandfather). He was installed the Emir of Kano on October 22, 1963. The glorious throne he still occupies his coronation since then places him as the 13th Fulani emir of Kano emirate and the 56th ruler of this great Hausa Kindom. Alhaji (Dr.) Ado Bayero’s patience has gloriously earned him the title: Damo Sarkin Hakuri; a title bestowed on him by his loyal and faithful subjects. This unique attribute of his has favorably won him the support of his followers and the accolade of people outside his emirate. The emir’s insatiable thirst for knowledge, a trait he inherited from his father gave birth to an open door leadership style, which makes education accessible to all gender male or female. He is also a true custodian of the rich cultural heritage of Kano, a course he specially promotes by encouraging its study among his people. Three years after his meritorious turbaning as the emir of the ancient Kano emirate, Alhaji Ado Bayero was appointed the first chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) in 1966. This appointment was a befitting tribute because he is not only a visionary and honest leader but also an intellectually sound emir who carries with him the trust of his followers.

Early life

Bayero was born to the family of Hajiya Hasiya and Abdullahi Bayero and into a Fulani Sullubawa clan that has presided over the emirate of Kano since 1819. He was the eleventh child of his father and the second of his mother. At the age of 7, he was sent to live with Maikano Zagi. He started his education within the emir's walls in Kano studying Islam, he then followed religious instructions with attendance at the Kano Middle School where he was classmates with Mahmoud Gashash. He graduated from the School of Arabic Studies in 1947 and attended Zaria Clerical College in 1952. Upon his graduation from the School of Arabic Studies, he took up work with the Bank of British West Africa where he was until 1949, the year he joined the Kano Native Authority. At the bank, he was exposed to colleagues from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds and he was able to see the evolving Nigerian state from his seat as a bank clerk. In 1954, he won a seat to the Northern regional House of Assembly. He was the head of the Kano Native Authority police division in 1957 until 1962, before becoming the ambassador of Nigeria to Senegal. As police chief, he tried to minimize the practice of briefly detaining individuals or political opponents on the orders of powerful individuals in Kano. As ambassador in Senegal, he cultivated a relationship with Senegalese president Senghor in whose country like Northern Nigeria, Tijjaniyya leader, Ibrahim Niass had numerous followers. Also, while working as an ambassador, he enrolled in a French class to learn the language. In 1963, he succeeded Muhammadu Inuwa as Emir of Kano with the support of kingmakers, Shehu Ahmadu, madaki, Bello Dandago, Sarkn Dawakin, Bellol Barwa and Mohammed Muhtari Sarkin Bai who liked his short experience in politics.

Emir

Bayero became emir during the first republic and at a time the nation went through rapid social, political changes and as regional, sub-regional and ethnic harmony became more discordant. In his first few years, two political movements with a pro Kano stance gained support among some of Kano elites. The first, Kano Peoples Party emerged during the reign of Muhammadu Inuwa and supported the deposed Emir Sanusi, but it soon evaporated. A new one, the Kano State movement emerged towards the end of 1965, favoring more economic autonomy for the province, this movement had Dandago, Maitama Sule and Inuwa Wada as members. The death of many political agitators of the period from Northern Nigeria in 1966 and subsequent enthronement of a unitary state consolidated a united front in the northern region but also resulted in a spate of crisis and violence in the North including in Kano. Bayero's admirers have commented on his role in bringing calm and stability during the time of the crisis and subsequent ones in Kano. As emir, he became a patron of Islamic scholarship and embraced Western education as a means to succeed in a modern Nigeria. However, in his reign, the constitutional powers derived as emir was whittled down by the military regimes between 1966-1979. The Native Authority Police and Prisons dept was abolished, the emir's judicial council was supplanted by another body while local government reforms carried out in 1968, 1972, and 1976 reduced the powers of the emir. During the second republic, he witnessed hostilities from the Peoples Redemption Party led government of Abubakar Rimi. In 2002, he led a Kano elders forum in opposing the onshore and offshore abrogation bill.

Ruling

As an important Islamic city of the West African savannah for centuries; Kano has witnessed a simultaneous reign of great emirs, who left indelible marks of their reign. Some of them include: Muhammadu Abbas (1903–1919), Alhaji Abdullahi Bayero (1926–1954) and the most recent of them, Alhaji (Dr) Ado Bayero, who is today continuing with the legacies of his predecessors. He is a charismatic and people-oriented leader who thinks less of himself and more of his subjects. His Royal Highness, Alhaji (Dr) Ado Bayero is the progeny of the former emir of Kano, Abdullahi Bayero (Sarki Alhaji). His princely birth in to the royal family in 1930 was a memorable event that attracted songs, dance, praise and gifts into the palace from all and Sundry, regardless of class or status to show solidarity to a prince who is today leading over ten million people in a well established commercial city (Kano) of West Africa. Though the 12th child of the late emir, the incumbent emir was the first privileged prince to attend a public school. This makes him unique in the chronology of princes before him because he was the first to attain such educational height in the history of the emirate.

References

• BBC, Nigeria: The Rioting in Kano, The British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, July 13, 1981.

"Alhaji (dr.) Ado Bayero: 40 Years of Service to Humanity", Daily Trust, October 13, 2003.