A federal high court in Kano has ordered the state government to halt the enforcement of the Emirate Council Repeal Law 2024.
This law, passed by the Kano State House of Assembly and signed by Governor Abba Yusuf on Thursday, May 23, 2024, aimed to revert the Kano emirate back to a single jurisdiction and reinstate Muhammadu Sanusi as Emir of Kano.
The court’s ruling came in response to a suit filed by Aminu Babba Dan Agundi, the Sarkin Dawaki Babba of the Kano emirate.
Judge Mohammed Liman issued an order instructing the defendants to “suspend” and “not give effect to the Kano State Emirate Council (Repeal) Law, 2024 as they affect all offices and institutions of the Emirate Council created pursuant to the provisions of the Kano State Emirate Council Law, 2019.”
This 2019 law had divided the Kano emirate into five jurisdictions, leading to Sanusi’s dethronement in 2020. The reinstatement of Sanusi as Emir of Kano by the kingmakers and Governor Yusuf followed the repeal of this law.
The court’s order, issued on Thursday, May 23, listed the Kano state government, Kano state house of assembly, the speaker of the house of assembly, attorney-general of Kano, commissioner of police, inspector-general of police (IGP), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the Department of State Services (DSS) as defendants. The court also mandated that all legal processes be served on the IGP in Abuja.
In his ruling, Judge Liman stated, “Parties are hereby ordered to maintain status quo ante the passage and assent of the bill into law pending the hearing of the fundamental rights application.” He also emphasized the importance of addressing constitutional and jurisdictional issues at the hearing scheduled for June 3, 2024.
The judge further ruled, “In order to maintain the peace and security of the state, an interim injunction of this Honourable Court is granted restraining the fifth to eighth respondents (CP, IGP, NSCDC, and DSS) from enforcing, executing, implementing, and operationalising the Kano State Emirate Council (Repeal) Law.”
The case has been adjourned to June 3, 2024, for the hearing of the fundamental rights application.
Muhammadu Sanusi’s dethronement in 2020 followed his fallout with the then-governor of Kano, Abdullahi Ganduje.
