L–R: Vice-President Namadi Sambo; President Goodluck Jonathan and Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, at the Presidential Villa… on Thursday
The Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, on Thursday visited President Goodluck Jonathan in Aso Rock.
The visit seen as an official rapprochement between the two which until recently had a testy relationship.
The relationship between the president and Sanusi who was governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was strained following some public attacks on Jonathan’s administration by Sanusi, which climaxed with a leaked letter to the president in which the then CBN boss alleged that about $50 billion had been diverted from the accounts of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
Jonathan had suspended Sanusi based on the report of the Financial Council Regulatory Commission of Nigeria (FCRCN) which indicted Sanusi for financial recklessness.
There reports shortly after the appointment of Sanusi as Emir of Kano, that the Sultan of Sokoto had initiated the resolution of their differences.
Although Sanusi was one of the Northern Traditional Rulers who joined Jonathan in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, for the breaking of Ramadan fast on July 23, the Thursday visit was his firt solo visit to the Presidency.
A Presidency source was quoted as saying that Sanusi used the opportunity of his meeting to apologise to the President, while pledging loyalty to the Jonathan’s administration.
According to the source, “He actually told the President that all his previous actions against him (the President) were based on misinformation.
“He then promised that going forward, he would be supporting the President and the present administration.”
Sanusi would not speak with State House correspondents when they sought to interview him at the end of the closed-door meeting.
