The Court of Appeal in Abuja has ruled that the Federal High Court in Kano lacks jurisdiction to hear the ongoing legal dispute concerning the Kano Emirate. The decision was reached through a split judgment.
Justice Gabriel Kolawole, delivering the lead judgment, declared that the Federal High Court should not preside over chieftaincy matters, which are within the purview of state courts. He directed that the case be transferred to the Kano State High Court for proper adjudication.
The presiding judge, Justice Mustapha Mohammed, along with another justice, agreed with Kolawole’s stance on jurisdiction. However, they differed on his directive to remit the case to the Kano State High Court. Instead, they argued that the case should be struck out entirely. Following this, the two justices struck out the proceedings at the Federal High Court, citing its lack of authority over the matter.
The case stems from the reinstatement of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi II as the Emir of Kano by Governor Abba Yusuf in May 2024. Sanusi’s reinstatement followed the enactment of a new law by the Kano State House of Assembly, which abolished the four additional emirates created in 2019 under the administration of former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.
The repealed law, titled The Kano State Emirates Councils (Repeal) Bill, 2024, nullified the establishment of the Rano, Karaye, Gaya, and Bichi emirates. These emirates had been created during a political conflict between Ganduje and Sanusi, leading to the eventual deposition of Sanusi as the Emir of Kano.
Chronicles Reporters previously reported that the passage of this new law marked the restoration of Sanusi as the sole Emir of Kano. The development highlights the ongoing tension and legal complexities surrounding traditional leadership in the state.
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