Former President Goodluck Jonathan and former Central Bank Governor, now Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, publicly met for the first time in a decade on September 26, 2024. Their meeting occurred during the launch of a book edited by former Finance Minister Shamsuddeen Usman, where Jonathan chaired the event and Sanusi was the Special Guest of Honour.
This reunion was significant, as Jonathan had suspended Sanusi in 2014 after Sanusi raised concerns over $49.8 billion allegedly missing under Jonathan’s administration. Despite their past differences, they exchanged pleasantries at the event. Sanusi humorously referred to Jonathan as “My Boss that sacked me” and expressed respect for the former president, choosing not to reignite past controversies.
Jonathan clarified that Sanusi’s suspension, rather than a sacking, was due to a Financial Reporting Council investigation, which could not be completed before Sanusi's tenure ended. Sanusi, in his remarks, refrained from further debate and emphasized broader issues in his chapter in the book, notably the influence of elite interests in Nigeria’s governance and the need for reform, particularly in the petroleum sector.