A Federal High Court in Kano invalidated Muhammadu Sanusi II’s reappointment as the 16th Emir of Kano on Thursday, June 20, 2024.
However, the Kano State government swiftly asserted that Muhammad Sanusi remained the 16th Emir of Kano and instructed Aminu Ado Bayero to vacate the Gidan Nassarawa mini palace, where he resided after his removal, for demolition.
Alhaji Aminu Babba-Dan’agundi, holding the title of Sarkin Dawaki Babba, had filed a motion seeking to halt the implementation of the Kano State Emirate (Repeal) Law 2024 through his counsel Ibrahim Aliyu-Nasarawa.
This law nullified the 2019 Emirate Council law that had established five emirates from the original Kano Emirate.
After all emirs were dismissed, Muhammad Sanusi II, who had been removed by the Abdullahi Ganduje administration in March 2020, was reinstated as the 16th Emir, displacing Aminu Ado Bayero due to the law’s repeal. Dissatisfied with this, Babba-Dangundi approached the court seeking to reverse Bayero’s removal.
The respondents included the Kano State Government, Kano State House of Assembly, Speaker of the Assembly, Kano State Attorney-General, Commissioner of Police in Kano, Inspector General of Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the Department of State Security Service.
In a ruling delivered recently, 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.
He emphasised that while the law itself remained valid, steps taken thereafter were invalidated. The court ordered all parties to maintain the status quo ante, noting previous orders to this effect pending further proceedings.
The Kano State government the State’s Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Haruna Isa Dederi, however, maintains that Muhammad Sanusi II continues as the Emir of Kano.
He cited the court’s affirmation of the validity of the law and indicated that actions taken by the government prior to the court’s interim order were affirmed.
The government then directed the state commissioner of police to remove Aminu Ado Bayero from the government property he occupies, citing plans for its renovation and reconstruction.
He said: ”The Kano State government acknowledges the ruling by the Federal High Court regarding the Kano Emirates Council (Repeal) Law, 2024 and views same as upholding the rule of law.
”By the ruling of the court, it has unequivocally reaffirmed the validity of the law passed by Kano State House of Assembly and assented to by His Excellency the Executive Governor of Kano State on Thursday, May 23, 2024, by 5:10 p.m.
“This part of the judgement is very fundamental to the entire matter. Further implication of the ruling is that all actions done by the government before the emergence of the interim order of the honorable 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 Sunusi II were done on May 23, 2024, before the emergence of the interim order which was served on us on Monday, May 27, 2024.
”Following this court’s ruling, Kano State government has directed the state commissioner of police to remove the deposed emir of the 8 metropolitan local governments from the government property where he is trespassing as government has already concluded arrangements for the general reconstruction and renovation of the property including the demolishing and reconstruction of the dilapidated wall fence with immediate effect.”
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