A chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Buba Galadima, has alleged that there was a calculated plot to destabilise Kano State and compel the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the state.

Galadima made the allegation while speaking on Jigsaw, a political programme aired on AIT on Tuesday. He claimed the plan was being orchestrated without the knowledge of President Bola Tinubu.

?On the Kano situation, because unknown to him, and I can beat my chest that he didn?t know, Tinubu didn?t know what happened, what was arranged,? he said. ?There was a grand design to set up the Kano state government, including the Emir, such that they could declare a state of emergency.?

Galadima further alleged that a high-level meeting was held in Abuja to strategise on the purported plot, adding that a key individual ? allegedly positioned to become the Emir of Kano ? was deliberately sent out of the country during the critical period.

?There was a meeting in a senior official of government?s house in this Abuja, and the man that was supposed to be appointed Emir was sent to Umrah, and as I speak to you now, he is in Saudi Arabia,? he said.

According to Galadima, the planners anticipated that once the current Emir of Kano was invited and detained in Abuja, the military would be put on alert and the throne declared vacant.

?Their thinking is that once the Emir is invited today, he will be detained in Abuja. Once he?s detained, the military will be put on alert and the throne will be declared vacant,? he said.

When asked by the programme?s anchor to identify the individual allegedly being positioned for the throne, Galadima declined to give a name.

?No, I don?t want to mention names. Go and find out who is in Saudi Arabia out of the princes in Kano. Everybody in Nigeria knows what is happening,? he said.

His comments follow a recent development involving the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi.

On Monday, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, withdrew an earlier invitation sent to the Emir to report to the force headquarters in Abuja.

The invitation had been issued last week in relation to alleged killings during the recent Eid-el-Fitr celebration. (The PUNCH)

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