Court Of Appeal Vacates Order Nullifying Sanusi’s Appointment As Emir Of Kano

In a major legal development, the Court of Appeal in Abuja decided to overturn the previous ruling that invalidated the appointment of Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II of Kano.

The three-member panel of justices, led by Justice Gabriel Kolawole, found that the Federal High Court in Kano lacked the authority to render the decision and ordered that the case be sent to the Kano State High Court for appropriate resolution.

Justice Kolawole highlighted that the matter, as a chieftaincy issue, should have been addressed by the Kano State High Court rather than the Federal High Court. The case came from a fundamental rights enforcement complaint filed by Aminu Baba-Dan’Agundi, who challenged the Kano State Government’s Kano Emirates Council (Repeal) Law 2024, which reinstated Sanusi II as Kano’s 16th emir.

Previously, on June 20, 2024, the Federal High Court in Kano, ruled over by Justice Abubakar Liman, overturned the Emir’s appointment, ruling that the Kano Emirates Council Law was unconstitutional. The verdict resulted in the reinstatement of Emir Ado Bayero. However, the Court of Appeal overturned this ruling, stating that the matter was outside the ambit of chieftaincy disputes, as specified in Section 251 of the Nigerian Constitution.

As part of its decision, the appellate court ordered that the matter be transferred to the Kano State High Court, with the chief justice assigning it to a judge who had not previously been engaged. In addition, the Court of Appeal awarded Baba-Dan’Agundi a cost of N500,000 in favor of the Kano State House of Assembly.

This verdict is a watershed point in the ongoing legal disputes over the leadership of Kano’s royal family, adding to the complexities of the region’s chieftaincy issues.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli