Breaking: Appeal Court Halts Sanusi’s reinstatement as Emir of Kano

Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II’s reinstatement as the Emir of Kano has been delayed by the Court of Appeal in Abuja.

Following a unanimous decision by a three-member panel of justices led by Justice Okon Abang, the decision was made.

The Federal High Court in Kano’s ruling on January 10 that invalidated the 2024-a-day Kano State Emirate Council (Repeal) Law overturned the judgment.

Sanusi II was reinstated as Emir following the resolution to dissolve the five emirates established in 2019.

Justice Gabriel Kolawole delivered the decision, which stated that Sanusi II’s appointment was revoked without the necessary authority, and that the case had been transferred to the Kano State High Court.

The appellate court, however, decided that the newly filed motions, which had the numbers CA/KN/27M/2025 and CA/KN/28M/2025, were legitimate and competent.

The phrase “the law is resolved.” Justice Abang remarked that the court is required to exercise its discretion responsibly and in the interests of justice.

He added that because the applicant had served as emir for five years prior to his removal, he deserved his protection.

Justice Kolawole ruled on January 10 that the case should have been decided by Kano State’s high court rather than the Federal High Court, which he described as “a grave error” when he overturned the ruling over Sanusi II’s appointment.

The Kano State Government’s Kano Emirates Council (Repeal) Law 2024, which reinstated Muhammadu Sanusi II as the 16th Emir, was overturned by the Federal High Court in Kano on June 20, 2024.

The presiding judge further directed the Kano State House of Assembly to carry out the status quo while Emir Ado Bayero was in charge of the fundamental rights enforcement lawsuit brought by Aminu Baba-Dan’Agundi.

However, the appellate court cited Section 251 of the Nigerian Constitution and Section 22 (2) of the Federal High Court Act to support its contention that the case should have been brought before the Kano State High Court or the FCT High Court.

According to him, “the proper order is to order the first respondent (Baba-Dan ‘Agundi) to transfer the case to the High Court of Kano State, where the Chief Judge shall assign it to a judge who has not previously been a part of the hearing of the case.”

The judge ordered the Kano State House of Assembly to pay the sum of N500,000.

However, the case was dropped in accordance with Justices Mohammed Mustapha and Abdul Dogo’s ruling that the proper course of action was to dismiss Dan Agundi’s lawsuit from the Federal High Court rather than transfer the case.

Source: Per Second News