A’Court halts Sanusi’s reinstatement as 16th Emir of Kano awaits Supreme Court decision
By Our Reporter
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has issued a stay on its January 10 ruling, which supported the Kano State Government’s repeal of the 2019 Emirate Council Law.
This decision will remain in effect until the Supreme Court resolves the ongoing appeal, the court, says
Recall that, the Appeal Court in Kano overturned a June 20 ruling by Justice Abubakar Liman of the Federal High Court in Kano, which had invalidated actions taken by the Kano State Government under the Kano State Emirate Council (Repeal) Law 2024, including the appointment of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as the 16th Emir of Kano.
Sitting in Abuja, the Appeal Court determined that Justice Liman’s order lacked jurisdiction.
Following this ruling, the Kano State Government appealed to the Supreme Court and requested an injunction to pause the execution of the judgment while the appeal was pending.
On Friday, a three-member panel of justices led by Justice Okon Abang reviewed the injunction related to two cases (marked CA/KN/27M/2025 and CA/KN/28M/2025) filed by Alhaji Aminu Babba Dan’agundi against the Kano State Government, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, the Inspector General of Police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and other security agencies.
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Dan’agundi’s application, submitted on February 6, 2025, sought to prevent the enforcement of the appellate court’s judgment while the Supreme Court appeal was in progress. He argued that the original suit was filed to protect his fundamental rights and contended that the trial court lacked jurisdiction over chieftaincy matters.
The panel unanimously ruled in favor of the application, stating that it was in the interest of justice. Justice Abang emphasized the need to maintain the status quo until the Supreme Court reaches a final decision. He highlighted that the applicant had a legitimate claim to protection, having served as Emir for five years before his removal.
The court’s ruling not only barred the enforcement of the January 10 judgment but also mandated that the situation before the trial court’s decision should be preserved until the Supreme Court’s ruling. The applicant was instructed to submit an indemnity undertaking within 14 days to compensate the respondents for any damages if the order was later deemed unnecessary.
The January 10 decision by the Court of Appeal overturned an earlier judgment by the Federal High Court in Kano, which had invalidated the Kano State Emirate Council (Repeal) Law 2024. This law dissolved five newly created emirates and reinstated Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as Emir of Kano. The Appeal Court affirmed that the lower court did not have jurisdiction over matters concerning chieftaincy, which are exclusively within the purview of state high courts.
