When asked how he learned of the banishment to Nasarawa and whether the state was consulted, Governor Sule said: “Immediately he was dethroned, the governor of Kano called me and said, we have just dethroned the Emir and we are thinking about relocating him to Nasarawa; If you will accept him. I said I will be more than happy to accept him.”
Narrating how the message came to him, He said: “The message was all over the social media that Emir Sanusi II was dethroned. I did not check because I was busy, but when the Kano Governor called, my aid brought the phone to me in a meeting. So as a senior governor and a second term governor, and someone I respect, I stepped aside to answer his call.
“The whole world knows they were having problems, but I did not know it will lead to this. When he told me the emir has been dethroned, I never said a word about it; whether it is good or bad or why. How can I say I will not accept Sanusi Lamido II, never,” he said.
Referring to the history of their relationship with the deposed Emir, Gov. Sule said: “This is a global citizen, highly respected person. When I was the Managing Director of Dangote group, he was the Group Managing Director of First Bank. We operated as colleagues at the corporate level. When I became the Deputy Group Managing Director of Dangote, he was the CBN Governor. By the time I became the Group Managing Director of Dangote, he had become an Emir.
So at all levels, we have cooperated. Commenting on why Nasarawa has become a popular destination for deposed Emirs in the North, governor said it is because the state is seen as one of the border stateS between the deep North and the Southern part of the country.