Jamilu Uba Adamu
“What is history? An echo of the past in the future; a reflex from the future on the past” -Victor Hugo (1802-1885), Georg Hegel adds, “We learn from history that we do not learn from history.”
Meanwhile, it was Karl Marx who said that history repeats itself, first as tragedy, then as farce.
You don’t have to be a historian to be a student of history. Listen, observe, and reflect.
Recently, I exactly did that with an elderly friend, an aristocrat, a history buff, and an author, Malam Adnan Bawa Bello.
Between Kano’s kingdoms indeed sultanate and now emirate there have been various vicissitudes, turbulent and uncertain moments, from the first-ever dethronement of Sarki Guguwa Dan Gijimasu in 1247-1290, down to Kano civil war (Yakin Basasa) from 1893-1895 and the British Conquest in 1903 and up to the recent dethronement of the Emir Sunusi II on 9th March 2020 by the outgoing Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
The second Sarki to be deposed in Kano after the one literally named “The Storm” was, Dakauta Dan Abdullahi Barja in 1452. He held sway over Kano for just a day.
Third, Sarki Atuma Dan Dakauta was deposed third. He reigned for only 2 days in the year 1452;
“Once is happenstance, twice is a coincidence, thrice is enemy action.” – Ian Fleming
Sarki Yakubu Dan Kisoke was dethroned in 1565 after ruling over Kano for four months and 29 days. He was reinstated later but declined the offer.
Dauda Abasama was also dethroned in 1565 after ruling Kano for only 50 days.
The pious Sarki Abubakar Kado (1565-1773) to the legendary Sultan Muhammadu Rumfa was dethroned after ruling Kano for 8 years and five months only.
Sarki Alhaji Dan Kutumbi (1643-1649) was deposed and settled in exile at Danzaki village in Gezawa. Sarki Soyaki Dan Shekarau ruled for only three months and was sacked from the throne of his ancestors in 1652. Muhammad Kukuna reigned from 1651-1652 ruled for only one year and was dethroned, he was reinstated back and ruled again from 1653 to 1660.
After the dethronement in 1653, there was a relief and interval of 250 years of the dethronement of Sarki’s in Kano until 1903, when Sarkin Kano Alu Mai Sango was deposed by the British, consigned to Yola and later Lokoja where he died in the 1920s.
Again, in 1963 Sarkin Kano Sunusi I (1953-1962) was deposed. He was taken to Azare and later relocated to Wudil where he died in 1991.
With the current political trend in Kano and the swinging of the electoral pendulum there is expectedly a fundamental question: would the Sarki Yakubu Dan Kisoke or the Sarki Kukuna Dan Alhaji scenario repeat itself in Kano?
Both were dethroned, the former was later offered and asked to return he declined, while the latter was returned and reinstated.
Lest we forget as pundits of American politics would say, “Roosevelt proved that a man could be president forever. Truman proved that any man could be president. Eisenhower proved that we didn’t need a president at all.”
Heads or tail, no doubt one of the above scenarios may likely in repeat itself in Kano.
Listen, observe, and reflect.
