Coalition of Lawyers, activists Hail Court Ruling on Kano Emirates

The National Coalition of Northern Lawyers and Public Interest Activists (NCNLPIA) has welcomed the landmark ruling annulling the reinstatement of Muhammadu Sanusi II as Emir of Kano.

The group said the judgment vindicates the popular stance on the illegality of the Kano State Government’s actions in dissolving the Kano Emirates and dethroning Emir Ado Bayero.

Justice Abdullahi Liman of the Federal High Court, Kano overturned all the actions taken by Governor Abba Yusuf after the Kano Emirate law was amended by the State House of Assembly on May 23, 2024.

Justice Liman faulted the governor’s assent to the bill and the presentation of an appointment letter to Sanusi on May 24, 2024 despite an order of court directing all parties to maintain status quo.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, convener Barrister Napoleon Otache commended the court for upholding the rule of law and protecting the sanctity of traditional institutions, adding that the ruling is a victory for justice, truth, and the people of Kano State.

The group, therefore, urged Governor Yusuf to apologise to Emir Ado Bayero for the humiliation and hardship inflicted upon him due to the unlawful dissolution of the Kano Emirates.

Otache advised the Governor to respect the court’s decision and work towards peace and reconciliation in Kano State.

“In nullifying the illegality embarked upon by the Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf and his associates, the court has again proven that the judiciary is the last hope of the common man,” the statement said.

“We have been reminded that might is not right and that the will of the people matters in addition to the demonstration that those who are in the right need not resort to violence to defend their rights.

“The court’s ruling has demonstrated that the rule of law must be obeyed since the defect that led to the nullification of the re-appointment of the 16th Emir resulted from the governor rushing to implement a law that the court had ruled to be placed on hold.

“It is now also clear that rushing to a slew of actions based on illegitimate premises would not make such illegal actions endure. The governor and Muhammadu Sanusi II must have realised by now that all they achieved with the drama they acted amounted to a nullity and a tragic waste of public resources to massage their egos.

“The ruling should be a wake-up call to the Kano State Government that it cannot introduce a state-level dictatorship as envisaged by the governor, one that sought to obliterate the Constitutionally guaranteed separation of powers among the executive, legislature and judiciary.

“The judiciary has given the rude awakening that it is there to correct the conversion of the Kano State House of Assembly into the rubberstamp factory that churned out destructive legislations to satisfy Governor Yusuf’s whims.

“The National Coalition of Northern Lawyers And Public Interest Activists is of the view that it is time for Governor Yusuf to acknowledge that he has lost the battle in this matter of the Kano Emirate Council (Repeal) Law 2024.

“Even though it was not the purpose for which he occupied office, he is welcome to continue with the imaginary war he is waging on his perceived enemies, but, this particular battle on the emirate issue is one he must acknowledge is lost.

“We consequently call on the Kano State Government not to waste the taxpayers’ resources on frivolous appeals but to continue to work with Emir Ado Bayero as the duly recognized Emir of Kano Emirate Council with his full official paraphernalia of office in the interest of peace and in accordance with the order of the court. We make this call knowing that all other pending legal challenges on the matter would naturally align with the Federal High Court ruling.”