Appeal Court Stops Sanusi’s reinstatement as Emir of Kano
There is a new drama in the Kano Emirate leadership tussle as the Court of Appeal in Abuja ordered a restraint in the enforcement of its judgment, which upheld the 2019 Emirate Council Repeal Law by the Kano State Government, delivered on January 10.
The court had ordered a restraint pending the determination of an appeal, which was before the Supreme Court.
The Court of Appeal in Kano set aside the ruling of Justice Abubakar Liman of the Federal High Court, delivered on June 20, 2024. It nullified the steps and actions taken by the Kano Government in pursuing the Kano State Emirate Council (Repeal) Law 2024. The judgment included the appointment of Muhammadu Sanusi as the 16th Emir of Kano.
The Kano Court of Appeal, which sat in Abuja, held that the order nullified the action of the state government under the 2024 Emirate Council Law, which was delivered by Justice Liman without jurisdiction.
Following the ruling, the case was appealed at the Supreme Court by the Kano State Government and at the same time, filed an injunction at the Court of Appeal for a stay of execution of the judgment, pending the Supreme Court judgment on the appeal.
Justice Okon Abang-led three-member panel of the Court of Appeal ruled on the injunction on Friday, March 14, which was in two suit marked CA/KN/28M/2025 and CA/KN/27M/2025.
The defendants in the appeal are the Inspector General of Police, the speaker of the Kano state house of assembly, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Kano state government and other security agencies.
Aminu Baba Dan (Sarkin Dawaki Babba) applied on February 6, 2025, asking the court to restrain the defendants from implementing the judgment of the Court of Appeal while the Supreme Court was yet to hear the appeal.
The claims of the applicant were that there was an initial suit in Kano for the protection of fundamental rights, stating that the trial court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain and determine the suit. Thus, there was the need to stop the respondents from implementing the judgment.
