On March 9, the governor of Kano state removed Sanusi Lamido Sanusi from his position as Emir of Kano, which is usually regarded as the second or third most important Muslim traditional ruler in Nigeria, and an Islamic scholar. There is speculation, especially among some Nigerian expats, that he is looking to launch a political career, perhaps even contesting for the presidency in 2023.

This article was originally published here on ForeignAffairs.com on Thursday, March 27, 2014.  Many observers, both in Turkey and abroad, believe that this is Turkish President Abdullah Gul’s moment…