Kano Emirate Tussle: Kingmaker appeals Court of Appeal Judgement

Aminu Dan’Agundi, a kingmaker in Emir Ado Bayero’s cabinet says the faction will appeal the recent Court of Appeal judgement. Alhaji Aminu who is senior to the contending emir made the state state in relation to the suit regarding the Kano Emirship. In ruling on the matter, the Appeal Court said the Federal High Court, Kano does not have the powers to interfere in the matter, a judgement welcomed by Kano State Government. “This ruling validates the government’s lawful actions and clarifies jurisdiction over chieftaincy matters, reinforcing the constitutional boundaries of courts in such affairs,’’ said Mr Haruna Dederi the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice. However, addressing newsmen in Kano on Sunday, Dan’Agundi said he had instructed his legal team to appeal against the Court of Appeal’s ruling at the Supreme Court. READ ALSO: Zamfara Bombing: Gov Lawal Commends NAF He cited errors in the interpretation of the ruling on the side of government which backs Emir Muhammad Sunusi II for the throne. He said it was wrong for the Appeal Court to interpret the case as a chieftaincy matter rather than a fundamental human rights violation. Dan’ Agundi said he was not contesting the constitutional power of the Kano State House of Assembly to enact or repeal laws but that the Kano Emirate Council Law 2024 (Repeal) did not follow due process. He said as a kingmaker in the Emirate Council he should have been accorded a fair hearing before the emirate council law was repealed. READ ALSO: Addressing the Challenge of Frequent Grid Collapse in Nigeria “I went to the Federal High Court Kano to challenge the Kano State Government’s decision. “After hearing from all the parties, the trial judge, Justice AM Liman, assumed jurisdiction to hear our case on merit. “While delivering its judgment, the Appeal Court heavily relied on Supreme Court citation on Emir of Muri’s case, upholding that any issue relating to chieftaincy affairs has to go back to State High Court. “But our case and that of Emir of Muri are different. “Since the Court of Appeal held that the Federal High Court lacks jurisdiction to entertain our case, there is nothing I can do than to appeal the judgement,” he said. He said challenging the Appeal Court verdict meant that all actions regarding the Emirship be suspended pending the Supreme Court’s final judgment. READ ALSO: FG Commences Free CNG Bus Service in Abuja He, therefore, urged the public to remain calm and wait for the Supreme Court’s verdict on the issue.

Gov Yusuf Appoints Three Second-Class Emirs in Kano State

By Doris Isreal Ijeoma Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State has approved the appointment of three second-class Emirs for the state’s Rano, Gaya and Karaye Emirates. A statement issued by the Governor’s Spokesperson, Mr Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, said the new Emirates is to serve as second with Kano as first-class Emirate. It gave the names of the newly-appointed Emirs as Alhaji Muhammad Mahraz Karaye, Emir of Karaye (who until his appointment was the District Head of Rogo), Alhaji Muhammad Isa Umar, Emir of Rano (who until his appointment, was the District Head of Bunkure) and Alhaji Aliyu Ibrahim Abdulkadir Gaya, Emir of Gaya (who was the Emir of the defunct Gaya Emirate). While congratulating the newly-appointed Emirs, Governor Yusuf urged them to be custodians of culture, peace and unity of the people of their respective Emirates. It will be recalled that the Governor had on July 16, 2024, signed into law a bill creating three second-class Emirates in the state with Rano covering only Rano, Kibiya and Bunkure Local Government areas, Gaya covering only Gaya, Ajingi and Albasu Local Government areas and Karaye covering only Karaye and Rogo Local Government areas. “The appointments are with immediate effect”, the statement added.

Governor Yusuf Orders Arrest Of Deposed Emir Of Kano

Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of of Kano State has ordered the immediate arrest of the former Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero. In a statement, which Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, his spokesperson, issued on his behalf, Yusuf accused Ado Bayero of creating tension in the state. “The former Emir was smuggled into Kano city last night in an attempt to forcefully return to the palace two days after being deposed by the Governor.” “”The Governor, it was confirmed that the new Emir, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, arrived at the palace in the company of the Governor, the Deputy Governor, the Speaker of the State Assembly, and other top government functionaries at about 1:00 a.m. on Saturday, 25th May 2024. “As the Chief Security Officer of the state, His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has directed the Commissioner of Police to arrest the deposed Emir with immediate effect for disturbing public peace and attempting to destroy the relative peace the state enjoys.”

Protesters Storm Villa, NASS Over Reinstatement Of Sanusi As Kano Emir

Protesters marched to the Presidential Villa and the National Assembly in Abuja on Friday, demanding President Bola Tinubu’s intervention in the Kano Emirate conflict. The protesters, marching peacefully, carried banners highlighting their concerns about the escalating situation in Kano. They called on President Tinubu to use his authority to resolve the crisis and ensure the restoration of peace and stability in the State. The State Assembly passed a bill titled, ‘The Kano State Emirates Councils (Repeal) Bill, 2024’, which dissolved the establishment of the additional emirates. This made way for the reinstatement of Muhammadu Sanusi II on Thursday by Governor Yusuf, four years after he was dethroned by a former governor of the state, Abdullahi Ganduje. The protesters, under the banner of the Concerned Patriots of Nigeria, accused Governor Yusuf of escalating his abuse of office by dissolving the traditional council. The coordinator, Abdullahi Muhammed Saleh said, “A lot had been going wrong in the state but the Concerned Patriots of Nigeria had thought it best to allow Kano state to sort out its thorny issues. However, Thursday’s brash actions of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State, who sacked five emirs to reappoint Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi as the 14th Emir of Kano has awoken us to the urgency of raising the alarm about the destructive excesses of the state governor. “Since being sworn into office, Governor Abba Yusuf has a string of loutish acts that run like a hardened criminal’s rap sheet. All in the name of rubbishing his predecessor, he started with a demolition spree that has served to impoverish the people whose lives he took an oath to improve. Thus he proved himself to be anti-people. “The Governor then attempted to destroy the structures of political parties in the state. The impish fanaticism with which he pursued this illicit mission saw him intruding into the structure of other political parties, including hiring some charlatans who purportedly suspended the national chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, who is interestingly his predecessor. Thus he proved himself to be anti-democratic. “This latest stunt of sacking five emirs to install his acolyte was achieved by manipulating the Kano State House of Assembly, which he had successfully turned into a rubber stamp for endorsing his illegal acts. He has eroded the autonomy guaranteed by the separation of powers as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). “It is inconceivable that any right-thinking person will descend low to the point of manipulating the traditional institution for political gimmicks. The humiliation meted out to the five emirs was most unbecoming and we have cause to believe that Abba Yusuf has set the stage for using the traditional institution as ancient and as esteemed as that of Kano for a political seesaw will continue since his successor will revert to the five emirates. The Kano governor has thus proven himself to be the anti-traditional institution leader.” The protesters criticized Governor Yusuf’s actions as unreasonable and detrimental to a civilized society, urging him to stop undermining Kano’s peace. They condemned the NNPP-dominated Kano State House of Assembly for being a rubber stamp for the governor’s actions, warning that their desperation could destabilize the city and the country. They appealed to President Tinubu to urgently intervene in the Kano Emirate crisis to prevent further deterioration and ensure peace is restored.

Kano Assembly dethrones five emirs

The Kano State House of Assembly has passed the Kano Emirates Council Law (repeal bill) 2024 on Thursday. This was sequel to deliberations on the floor of the house during plenary on Thursday. The law, which was passed after scaling 3rd reading, had abolished the establishment of five emirate councils in the state. The new bill would revert the state’s highest ranking traditional institution to its former structure of one emir as all the offices established under the previous law had been dissolved. The bill had also provided that all district heads elevated or appointed under the repealed law are to revert to their previous positions. The bill, titled Kano State Emirates Council (Amendment number 2) Law, 2024, was sponsored by the Majority Leader and member representing the Dala Constituency, Lawan Hussaini Chediyar Yan Gurasa. Recall that the former governor of the state, Abdullahi Ganduje, on December 5, 2019, assented to the law that created five new emirates in the state. The governor assented to an amendment to the law on 14 October, 2020 and signed another amendment on 11 April, 2023.

Kano assembly dissolves four new emirates, may reinstate Sanusi

The Kano State House of Assembly has dissolved the four emirate councils created by the immediate past administration led by Abdullahi Ganduje. Muhammadu Bello Butu, the deputy speaker of the assembly who confirmed the development said that the dissolution of the 4 new emirate councils was sequel to deliberations on the floor of the house during plenary. He disclosed that the Kano state emirate council amendment bill was considered on the floor of the house after scaling second and third reading on Thursday morning. Butu explained that repealing the law would revive the lost glory of Kano as the division of Kano emirate to five reduced the capacity and dignity of the state at national level. The majority leader Lawan Hussaini Dala said that the emirate council served as a custodian of culture which was distorted by the creation of additional emirates. The majority leader explained that with the amendment of the law, all the five emirate councils were abolished while the commissioner for local governments would serve as the overseer. The house also adopted a motion to create new second class emirate council in the state. However, sources close to the state legislatures indicates that there is a strong indication that the despised Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi 11, might be restore later today, as Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf is set to assent to the new Act later today.