…restores repealed emirate law
*Sanusi remains emir – Kano govt
A Federal High Court in Kano on Thursday nullified the Kano Emirate Council (Amendment No. 2) Law, 2024, that scrapped four of the five emirates councils of the state last month and removed all the five emirs, including Aminu Ado-Bayero of Kano.
Governor Abba Yusuf, on 23 May, signed the bill that repealed the State Emirate Council Law 2019. The Kano State House of Assembly had earlier on the same day passed the bill that also dissolved the four emirates created by former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.
Gov. Yusuf immediately reinstated Mr Sanusi the following day as the sole emir of Kano State.
The Kano State government has, meanwhile, announced that Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, remains the rightful Emir of Kano,.
The declaration was made at a press conference held at the Government House by the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Haruna Isah Dederi. He addressed the media on behalf of Governor Abba K. Yusuf and the Kano State government.
He explained that the court’s ruling validates the Kano Emirates Council (Repeal) Law, 2024, passed by the Kano State House of Assembly and assented to by the Governor on May 23, 2024.
According to Dederi, the ruling reaffirms the government’s actions, including the abolition of the five emirates created in 2019 and the deposition of the five emirs. This means that Sanusi, who was reinstated as Emir on May 23, 2024, remains the legitimate Emir of Kano.
He added, “Further implication of the ruling is that all actions done by the Government before the emergence of the interim order of the honourable Court, are equally validated. This means that the abolishing of the Five emirates created in 2019 is validated and the deposition of the Five Emirs is also sustained by the Federal High Court. By implication, this means that Muhammadu Sanusi II remains the emir of Kano.
“The judge also granted our application for the stay of proceedings until the Court of Appeal deals with the appeal before it on jurisdiction. Happily, the signing of the law and the reinstatement of His Highness, Emir Muhammad Sanusi II were done on 23rd May, 2024 before the emergence of the Interim Order which was served on us on Monday 27th May, 2024.”
A title holder in Kano emirate, Aminu Dan’agundi, had challenged the government’s decision to reinstate Sanusi at the Federal High Court.
The judge, Abdullahi Liman, in suit number FHC/KN/CS/182/2024, had immediately ordered the state government and the other parties involved to stop the implementation of the new emirate law pending the hearing of the substantive case.
On Thursday, Mr Liman, who appeared at the court room at exactly at 3:08 p.m., apologised for coming late.
In about an hour ruling, the judge ruled that the appointment of Mr Sanusi aa Kano emir was null and void as the government failed to obey the court order restraining it from taking further actions on the new emirate council law.
The judge described Governor Yusuf’s speech during the presentation of the reappointment letter to Mr Sanusi as a road to anarchy, saying that if a court order cannot be respected despite evidence of service then the government was heading to the explosive side.
He ordered the restoration of the Kano Emirate Council Law 2019 that split Kano into five emirates of Kano, Bichi, Karaye, Rano and Gaya.
