The Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II yesterday rode in a vehicle to pay Sallah homage on Governor Abba Yusuf at Government House following the ban on Sallah Durbar in Kano State.

The ex-Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor therefore abandoned the traditional use of horses as a means of transport for Hawan Nassarawa.

Sanusi also changed his normal routes from his palace to the state road to the Government House to avoid security breaches.

Prof. Tijjani Naniya of the Bayero University of Kano (BUK) said the Emir only went back to the old tradition in 1903 where the Emir visited the governor using a vehicle but by 1940 the use of horses was introduced.

He said the visit to the governor was to brief him on developments in the state as well as the report received by the Emirate.

The professor of history said: “Before 1940, there was no Wajen Kano, that is outskirts the City, and the Emir as the head of Native Authority, NA, he will only pay his visit to the resident of the Governor at Government House to brief him on the yearly happenings in the City as well as report he received in the emirate and returned to his Palace.

“But by 1940 and when outskirts Kano that is Wajen Kano was created and there were people who though most of whom were Hausa but not of Kano extraction, the Emir needed to go round and see them, the present day Hawan Nassarawa using Horses was introduced.

“What was stopped is for the Emir to ride on horses and pass through State Roads, that for sure would create a problem but now that he has returned to the original means of the Hawan Nassarawa tradition there is no violation.”