So yesterday I was summoned to meet with His Highness. From a burst of inspiration as he mowed down the delicious Afang in my house, he had said, “Duke, I have a powerful script on Emir Sanusi. “Would you be interested?”
I said yes. I immediately called my egbon, Kola Karim. Kola had taken me to visit the Emir weeks after his dethronement in Vi.
Kola was enthusiastic and said, “Edgar, forget about the funding, we are behind you.”
I said to Prof. Let’s do this.
The route to Emir was very exciting and interesting. From Kola to Asue Ighodalo to Ituah Ighodalo, then seasoned journalist Kadaria Ahmed via Fati Shehu, then Babangida, and finally my big aunty FATIMA WALI-ABDURRAHMAN, and finally an endorsement from the Emir himself.
So Babangida and I started talking. Babangida is a brilliant businessman from Kano. I am young, effusive, and intelligent. He says, “Duke, Emir is in town, and he has told me to work with you.” He has given me the exclusive mandate to work with you. A statement he has been repeating and honorably carrying.
In trying to seek an audience, I met with the Emir’s uncle, Bayero, who is his chief of staff. A nice gentleman, and we had very fruitful discussions. He promised to give me face time, which was looking herculean because of their very tight schedule.
Anyway, I met with Babangida on Saturday night. He had flown into Lagos for the purpose and said Duke would be on standby for Sunday at 10 a.m.
On Sunday, I got the call, and I rushed to the Ikoyi residence of the Emir.
We were ushered in and we met a very handsome Emir in very resplendent clothing.
He was getting ready for the airport and graciously agreed to meet with me.
If you need to understand Nigeria—the economy, politics, and power dynamics—you need to sit with the 14th Emir of Kano.
I am a sponge when I sit in front of brilliance. I just sit down and listen, begging the speaker not to stop talking.
He took me down his trajectory and said, “Duke, I do not define myself by my position.” So when you say a CBN Governor does not talk like that, I will say I do not define myself by the position. I am Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.
He further said, “Edgar, once I get an appointment, I sack myself the next day, so I kill fear.” Mad, I say.
We talked about his grandfather, his own challenges, and how he was dethroned. We talked about the happenings before his coronation and the things that happened around his dethronement.
We talked about the challenges he faced during the Jonathan administration and the challenges he faced with the Buhari administration.
Finally, he talked about the morning of his dethronement.
If I say it all, will you now come and see the play? So let me leave it so you can buy your ticket.
As we stood to leave, he introduced us to his beautiful wives and said, “Edgar, this is my first wife and she is the daughter of my cousin. This is my last wife, she is the daughter of the Emir of…
And I said, “Will you take more?” and he laughed and said, “They won’t agree.”
We all laughed as the first wife gave us gifts and bade us farewell.
Emir’s little twin daughters took a liking to me and could not stop waving me goodbye.
As I drove off, the energy of it all, his brilliance, his servitude to his destiny, and his aura, all weakened me and made me say, “This is a man.”
Emir Sanusi will play the Muson and Musa Yardua Centres on August 6th and 7th.
Call 09095325791 for advanced discounted tickets.
