By Suleiman Anyalewechi
Justice Abdullahi Mohammed Liman of a Federal High Court, Kano, has reserved ruling till June 13, 2024, on the jurisdiction of the Court to entertain a motion on notice seeking to set aside the reinstatement of Muhammad Sanusi as the 16th Emir of the Kano Emirate Council.
The Source reports that following moves by the Kano state authorities to dethrone Emir Aminu Ado Bayero and four others on May 23, one of the Emirate King Makers, Aminu Babaa DanAgundi ( Sarki Dawakin Maituta), on behalf of Emir of Bayero, approached the Court to seek injunction restraining the Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf from dethroning Emir Bayero, as well as halting the reinstallation of Emir Sanusi, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit challenging the dethronement and reinstatement processes .
However, Governor Yusuf ignored a restraining order issued by Justice Liman and proceeded to reinstate Emir Sanusi, after signing into law, the Kano State Government Emirate bill of 2024 as earlier passed by the state Lawmakers.
The 2024 amended law had also thrown over board the 2019 Emirates law under which provisions the hitheto single and behemoth Kano Emirate was partitioned into five, and Emir Sanusi dethroned in 2020 by the immediate past administration of Dr Abdullahi Ganduje.
During the hearing on Thursday, June 6, after the initial date of June 3 was thwarted by the organized labour strike, Justice Liman informed that there are two applications for consideration.
On one hand is that bordering on jurisdiction, and the other a motion seeking the order of the court to set aside the order stopping the reinstallation of Sanusi.
After hearing arguments from both sides, Justice Liman, subsequently adjourned to June 13 to rule on whether or not the court has jurisdiction to continue with the matter.
Earlier, counsel to the plaintiff, M A Waziri, had told the court that his client Emir Bayero was not given a fair hearing in the process that culminated in his dethroment.
He further posited that the processes that enthroned Emir Sanusi were fraught with illegality and as such null and void.
The plaintiff’s Counsel consequently urged them to proceed with the matter insisting that it is within its jurisdiction.
But in his own submission, the lead counsel to Emir Sanusi, Muhammad Magaji urged the Court not to succumb to the temptation of assuming jurisdiction as canvassed by the plaintiff Counsel.
He noted that it is a fact that the State House of Assembly has the constitutional powers to amend, repeal, and enact a law for the State, adding that in performing its constitutionally assigned duties, the legislators need not consult the plaintiff.
