Maikano and Fauruk held a small wedding ceremony that was arranged in Katsina, the state where Daura is located, after a brief courtship.
Emir is a word of Arabic origin that often refers to a male monarch. During wedding ceremonies a couple will also often have a “Fatiha,” which is a blessing in the presence of friends and family.
According to local media reports, Faruk paid 1 million Naira ($2,416.98) as a dowry for his new bride.
They added that the serial polygamist has married no less than four young wives over the past six years.
A short video of the celebrations was posted on Instagram on Tuesday showing Maikano dancing to traditional music.
Another video showed the Magajin Garin Daura (effectively the mayor of Daura) Musa Umar attending the wedding to represent Faruk at the wedding Fatiha.
A source close to the royal family told local media the emir has divorced three of his wives recently to pick a new set of four wives.
The family source added: “The plan was that the emir wanted to marry at least three wives at one go.”
According to a BBC report, polygamy is legal in Nigeria but less common in some communities and is more likely to occur among people who live in rural areas. It is also more popular among the Muslim communities in the north of Nigeria.
The official marriage registry only allows for one wife but it also has a clause that allows for marriage under customary law. These laws can differ among communities, however.
Muhammad Sanusi, who was the Kano emir from June 2014 until he was ousted in March 9, 2020, indicated he wanted to ban polygamy in some instances.
Sanusi emphasized the ruling that a man must be able to support his many wives and children.
He argued that polygamy among the poor was linked to the rise of the Islamist militant group Boko Haram. This group had been behind the violent insurgency in the northeastern regions of Nigeria.
During a gathering in 2017, Sanusi gave a speech on potential changes to family law.
He said: “Those of us in the north have all seen the economic consequences of men who are not capable of maintaining one wife, marrying four.
“They end up producing 20 children, not educating them, leaving them on the streets, and they end up as thugs and terrorists”
Sanusi’s critical and reformist nature eventually saw him dethroned in 2020 and replaced by Aminu Ado Bayero.
According to a BBC report, the government said he was removed “in order to safeguard the sanctity, culture, tradition, religion, and prestige of the Kano emirate”. They added Sanusi had shown “total disrespect” of institutions and the governor’s office.
The emirs are seen as being custodians of religion and tradition and are widely revered in the Muslim north.
They have little constitutional powers but are viewed as having significant influence.
