Court sacks new Kano Emirs

A Kano High Court presided over by Justice Usman Na’Abba on Thursday, dissolved the four additional emirates and first class emirs created by the Kano State Government.

The State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, had on May 8, assented to a controversial law establishing four additional emirates with first class emirs in Bichi, Rano, Karaye, and Gaya.

But the law was challenged by the then member representing Gwarzo in the Kano State House of Assembly, Rabi’u Saleh Gwarzo, at the State High Court.

Delivering the judgement, Justice Na’abba said 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, therefore, declared the law creating the new four emirates null and void, saying the petition for the creation of the emirates was faulty and did not follow due process.

Speaking to reporters shortly after the judgement, the counsel to the state government, who is the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ibrahim Mukhtar, said the state government would analyse the judgement and take the next line of action.

Similarly, Barrister Maliki Umar-Kuliya, Counsel to the Plaintiff, expressed satisfaction with the judgement.

According to him, “The judgement was passed because the state government did not follow due process in enacting the law on May 6, May 7, and May 8, 2019.”