Muhammadu Sanusi II says his years away from Kano after his dethronement as emir helped him avoid possible humiliation and allowed him to pursue further academic work.
Speaking about resilience in difficult times at the Fola Adeola annual Ramadan lecture, Sanusi said people often wrongly attribute power and outcomes to individuals rather than recognising that circumstances ultimately change by God’s will.
Using his experience as case study, the monarch said his faith in God helped him endure the difficult periods of his removal as governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and later as emir.
Sanusi warned against humiliating oneself in pursuit of favour from powerful figures, noting that many people mistakenly believe their fortunes depend entirely on other individuals.
“Too often in our lives, we attribute things to human beings, but they are all created,” Sanusi said.
“Remembering that situations are not permanent, that Allah changes your circumstances, helps you cope and conduct yourself.
“I’ve seen people who beg, cringe, and bow to human beings. They humiliate themselves because they feel this person is the one who holds the path to their position.”
The monarch cited his own experience as an example of how fortunes can change over time.
Sanusi said he spent four years away from the palace, but eventually returned to the throne.
“I was suspended from being governor of central bank. Three months later, I became an emir,” he said.
“Several years ago I was removed as emir; four years later, I came back. I’m now in the same palace, I’m on my throne. Yes, there are challenges but at the end of the day you hold on to God. You don’t panic.
“I think of all the things that could have happened if I was in Kano in the last four years, the humiliation I could have faced, the people I would have had to deal with, the people I would have had to report to, but God was so merciful, so kind, He took me away from that. He gave me a chance, I went and did a PhD and I’m back.”
He added that losing positions should not be seen as the end of one’s life or purpose.
“If I’m taken away from positions, it’s not a big deal. At the end of the day, I ask myself, have I done anything to offend God?” he added.
“It’s better for you to leave there and keep to yourself principles than to stay there and earn the wrath of Allah.”
Sanusi was CBN governor from 2009 to 2014.
He was dethroned as emir in 2020 by then-Kano governor Abdullahi Ganduje, and reinstated by Abba Yusuf, incumbent governor of the state, in 2024.
