A Federal High Court sitting in Kano has affirmed that the 2024 Emirates Council Law, which repealed the former that created the Bichi, Rano Karaye and Gaya Emirates from the former Kano Emirate, is valid.
The presiding judge, Justice A.M. Liman, who gave the ruling on Thursday, however, nullified all actions taken by the state government after the passage and signing of the new law.
One of the actions was the reinstatement of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as emir.
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“I hereby order that every step taken by the government is hereby nullified and becomes null and invalid and that this does not affect the validity of the repealed Emirates Law but actions taken by the Governor, which includes the assenting to the Law and the reappointment (of Sanusi).
“I have listened to the audio of the governor both in Hausa and English after assenting to the Law, and I am convinced that the respondents are aware of the order of maintaining status quo pending the hearing and determination of the motions on notice in the court.
“Having been satisfied that the respondents are aware of the court order, the court in the exercise of its powers set aside an action because it is in violation of the court’s order, I think it is a very serious matter for anyone to flout the orders of the court and go scot free with it,” Justice Liman said.
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He said the catastrophic situation could have been averted if the respondents followed due processes by complying with the court order, which would still have allowed them to carry out their assignments.
He noted that the respondents however decided to act according to their whims and caprices, a situation which he said landed them in a serious mess.
The Kano House of Assembly had repealed the law after which Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf implemented it by dethroning Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero as Emir of Kano.
The governor also reversed the creation of four emirates, Bichi, Rano Karaye and Gaya, and sacked the Emirs appointed by his predecessor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
