Posters bearing the images of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and the 15th Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, have surfaced across strategic locations in Kano metropolis.
This comes barely weeks after the vandalisation of campaign banners featuring the President and the Governor.
Although the posters carry no logo, colour or symbol identifying them with any political party, the prominent placement of Bayero’s image at the top of the large posters has a attracted public attention as political parties intensify preparations for the 2027 general elections.
The posters were sighted at several strategic locations, including opposite the Nassarawa Mini Palace, the entrance to Audu Bako Secretariat, adjacent to the Digital Industrial Park and opposite the Science and Technical College, all along State Road.
Similar posters were also spotted opposite the School of Arabic Studies, the former British Council premises, the Printing Press and Kofar Nassarawa along Emir’s Palace Road in the ancient city.
The sudden appearance of the posters have generated public interest, particularly against the backdrop of the recent destruction of campaign banners bearing the images of President Tinubu and Governor Yusuf during a horse-riding procession involving Bayero.
Supporters of the 15th Emir were alleged to have vandalised several campaign banners belonging to the All Progressives Congress (APC) while accompanying the traditional ruler on a horse ride through parts of the metropolis.
Although a senior traditional titleholder in Bayero’s palace, Alhaji Aminu Babban Dan’agundi, condemned the destruction of the banners on behalf of the Emir, the Kano State Police Command subsequently confirmed the arrest of five suspects in connection with the incident.
The latest development has, however, raised fresh concerns over the intersection of the protracted Kano emirship tussle and the evolving political dynamics ahead of the 2027 general elections.
While expressing regret over the destruction of the campaign materials, Dan’agundi maintained that Bayero remained a traditional ruler who would neither engage in partisan politics nor associate himself with any political party.
Reacting to the development, a former Kano State Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Ibrahim Zakari Sarina, described Bayero as a peaceful traditional leader who would never encourage or associate himself with acts of violence.
Sarina, however, said he could not ascertain whether the emergence of posters jointly featuring Tinubu, Governor Yusuf and Bayero was politically motivated.
He maintained that the 15th Emir enjoyed cordial relationships with prominent personalities and individuals across political, religious and social divides.
According to him, Bayero’s longstanding reputation as a peaceful traditional ruler and his relationships with people from different walks of life should not necessarily be interpreted as evidence of political affiliation.
However, a public affairs commentator, Abba Muhammad, offered a different interpretation to the development, suggesting that the posters might have been deliberately designed to rebuild goodwill between Bayero and the Presidency following the recent destruction of Tinubu’s campaign banners.
Muhammad alleged that the appearance of the posters could be an attempt to project a renewed cordial relationship with the President amid the controversy generated by the vandalism.
He further claimed that Bayero, whom he accused of maintaining close ties with opposition political figures, could not convincingly demonstrate renewed political affinity with the President without addressing the circumstances surrounding the destruction of his campaign materials.
The contrasting reactions have added another dimension to the lingering Kano emirship controversy, as political activities gradually gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections.
