Kano Government Plans Appeal After Court Removes Sanusi as Emir
A Federal High Court in Kano has nullified the reappointment of Muhammadu Sanusi II as the 16th Emir of Kano, in a ruling that has sparked immediate controversy and legal maneuvers.
The court’s decision came in response to a motion filed by Alhaji Aminu Babba-Dan’agundi, challenging the Kano State government’s implementation of the Kano Emirate (Repeal) Law 2024, which abolished the creation of five emirates from the original Kano Emirate.
Justice Abdullahi Muhammad-Liman declared all actions taken by the state government following the enactment of the law as null and void. However, he emphasized that the validity of the law itself remains unaffected.
Despite the court’s ruling, the Kano State government swiftly reaffirmed Muhammadu Sanusi II as the Emir of Kano. The government, led by Governor Abba Kabir-Yusuf, maintained that the law repealing the five emirates, signed on May 23, 2024, before the court’s interim order, validated the reappointment of Sanusi II.
Addressing reporters at the Government House, the State’s Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Haruna Isa Dederi, alongside the Secretary to the State Government, Baffa Bichi, asserted the government’s stance.
“The ruling has upheld the validity of the law passed by the Kano State House of Assembly and assented to by the Governor. This means that Muhammadu Sanusi II remains the Emir of Kano,” Dederi stated.
The Attorney General also announced the government’s directive to the Commissioner of Police to remove Aminu Ado Bayero, who was appointed after Sanusi’s initial removal in March 2020, from the Gidan Nassarawa mini palace. The government plans to demolish the property for reconstruction.
In response to the court’s decision, legal representatives for the State House of Assembly and other respondents indicated their intention to appeal the ruling and applied for a stay of proceedings pending the appeal.
Meanwhile, counsel to the applicant, M. S. Waziri, had argued for the nullification of the Kano Emirate (Repeal) Law 2024, citing procedural irregularities.
The court’s decision and subsequent actions by the Kano State government have heightened tensions within the state, with supporters of both Sanusi and Bayero closely monitoring developments.
The case has now been transferred to Justice Simon Amobeda of the Federal High Court 3 for further adjudication on jurisdictional issues and the pending appeals.
