UPDATED: Court sets aside repeal of Kano Emirate Law, orders status quo be maintained
A Federal High Court in Kano on Thursday nullified all actions by Kano State Government to repeal the Kano Emirates Council Law.
The law was repealed by the Kano Assembly, and Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf then put it into effect by removing Aminu Ado Bayero from his position as Kano’s emir.
The emirs chosen by his predecessor, Abdullahi Ganduje, were removed. The governor also cancelled the establishment of four new emirates: Bichi, Rano Karaye, Gaya, and Rano Karaye.
Additionally, Muhammadu Sanusi II, the 14th Emir of Kano who was overthrown by Ganduje in 2020, was reappointed as the 16th Emir of Kano based on the law.
However, Aminu Babba Danagundi, also known as the Sarkin Dawaki Babba, a kingmaker in the erstwhile Kano emirate, questioned the legality of the statute and requested that the court declare it invalid.
Justice Abdullahi Muhammad Liman ordered the parties to maintain the status quo in his verdict on Thursday, overturning the Kano government’s action.
He ruled that although the defendants were aware of the court’s interim injunction, they chose to disregard it and proceeded with implementing the law.
