In what observers have described was a slap on the face of Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, a Kano State High Court yesterday nullified the creation of four additional first-class emirates and their emirs by the state government.
Subsequently, the court invalidated and ordered the immediate dissolution of their emirate councils established alongside the emir’s appointment. The emirs are Emir of Bichi, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero; emir of Karaye, Alhaji Ibrahim Abubakar; emir of Rano, Alhaji Tafida Abubakar and Emir of Gaya, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdulkadir.
Governor Ganduje appointed the four emirs as first-class chiefs and upgraded their domain into emirate councils, a deliberate attempt to decimate Emir of Kano Mohmmadu Sanusi. Prior to the appointment of the new emirs, Kano state government had sent an executive bill for the amendment of Kano state chieftaincy law to the state assembly.
Ruling on the suit filed by a member of the state House of Assembly, Rabiu Gwarzo, challenging the exercise, the presiding judge, Justice Usman Na’Abba, insisted the additional four emirates and their first-class emirs created by Kano State Government were not properly constituted and thereby render invalid.
Justice Usman also ruled that the Kano State House of Assembly had violated the provision of Section 101 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which allows the assembly to make laws. He then declared the law creating the emirates null and void, saying the petition for the creation of the emirate was faulty.
On May 8, 2019, Governor Ganduje had assented to the bill for the creation of the four additional emirates. Prelude to the approval of the now-outlawed emirates, the governor and the Emir of Kano had feuded over a number of issues relating to administration and policies of the current administration in the state.
At a point, the state’s anti-corruption summoned the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) over the expenditure of the Kano Emirate where he was accused of allegedly mismanaging the funds of the emirate but all was, however, brought a halt following the intervention of some prominent Nigerians from the state and wide.
