Kano—A Federal High Court sitting in Kano nullified the reappointment of Muhammadu Sanusi II as the 16th Emir of Kano. However, the Kano State government swiftly responded, asserting that Sanusi remains the Emir and ordering the removal of Aminu Ado Bayero from the Gidan Nassarawa mini palace for demolition.
Alhaji Aminu Babba-Dan’agundi, who holds the title of Sarkin Dawaki Babba, had filed a motion through his counsel, Ibrahim Aliyu-Nasarawa, on May 23. The motion sought to restrain the Kano State government from implementing the Kano State Emirate (Repeal) Law 2024, which had repealed the 2019 Emirate Council law that established five emirates from the original Kano Emirate. This repeal led to the sacking of all emirs and the reinstatement of Muhammad Sanusi II as the 16th Emir, replacing Aminu Ado Bayero.
Dissatisfied with the development, Babba-Dan’agundi sought a court reversal of Bayero’s removal. The respondents included the Kano State Government, Kano State House of Assembly, the Speaker of the House, the Attorney General of Kano State, and the Commissioner of Police in Kano. Other respondents were the Inspector General of Police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the Department of State Security Service.
In his ruling, Justice Abdullahi Muhammad-Liman declared all actions taken by the state government following the passage of the Kano Emirate Council (Repeal) Law 2024 null and void, although he upheld the law itself. “I hereby order that every step or action taken by the respondents pursuant to the Kano Emirate Council Repeal Law 2024 is null and void and is set aside. However, this order does not affect the validity of the law,” he stated.
Justice Muhammad-Liman ordered all parties to maintain the status quo ante and criticized the respondents for not complying with the court’s earlier order to maintain status quo pending the hearing and determination of the case. He granted the respondents’ application for a stay of proceedings, pending their appeal on jurisdiction, and transferred the case to Justice Simon Amobeda at the Federal High Court 3.
Earlier, the counsel to the applicant, M. S. Waziri, urged the court to nullify the Kano Emirates Council (Repeal) Law 2024. Counsel for the Kano State House of Assembly and Speaker, Eyitayo Fatogun, informed the court that he had filed a notice of appeal and a motion for a stay of proceedings. He also requested recusal and an adjournment to allow his clients to find another lawyer.
Counsel for the Attorney General of Kano State and the State Government, A. G. Wakil, supported Fatogun’s position. Similarly, counsel for the Commissioner of Police Kano and the Inspector General of Police, Sunday Ekwe, noted that the police’s duty was to maintain peace, which was why they did not file a response on the jurisdiction issue.
The Kano State House of Assembly had dissolved all four newly created emirate councils on May 23. On the same day, Governor Abba Kabir-Yusuf dethroned the 15th Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, and reappointed Muhammad Sanusi II as the Emir, four years after his removal by former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.
Despite the court ruling, the Kano State government maintained that Sanusi remains the Emir of Kano. The State’s Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Haruna Isa Dederi, accompanied by the Secretary to the State Government, Baffa Bichi, reiterated this stance while addressing the media at the Government House. Dederi stated that Bayero should vacate the Gidan Nassarawa mini palace immediately, as the government planned to reconstruct and renovate the property.
“The Kano State government acknowledges the ruling by the Federal High Court regarding the Kano Emirates Council (Repeal) Law, 2024, and views it as upholding the rule of law,” Dederi said. “By the ruling, the court has reaffirmed the validity of the law passed by the Kano State House of Assembly and assented to by the Executive Governor on May 23, 2024. This means that Muhammadu Sanusi II remains the Emir of Kano.”
Dederi added that the government has directed the state commissioner of police to remove Bayero from the government property, emphasizing the commencement of reconstruction and renovation, including demolishing and rebuilding the dilapidated wall fence.
The state government continues to stand firm on its actions, awaiting further developments from the Court of Appeal on the matter.
