A coalition of Legal Practitioners, under the aegis of Northern Lawyers Forum, has urged the National Judicial Council NJC, to act proactively to prevent the Judiciary from being used to orchestrate chaos and division in Kano.
This is even as it has given the Kano State Government 48 hours to reconsider its earlier decision to reinstate Muhammad Sanusi as the Emir of Kano, noting that it is unconstitutional and negates the cherished traditions and customs of the Kano Emirate .
At a media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, the Forum’s Director-General Barrister Umar Sadiq Abubakar, warned that it will explore all available legal options to protect both the Judiciary and the interest of Kano people, should Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf fail to give attention to its ultimatum.
The Northern Lawyers Forum faulted the processes that culminated in the reinstatement of Sanusi, insisting that the development, if not revisited has the huge potentials to create chaos and undermine the principle of rule of law.
The Lawyers Forum specifically took a swipe at Governor Yusuf’s decision to ignore a restraining Court order in the process of reinstating Sanusi, describing it as a deliberate attempt to subject the Judiciary to ridicule .
Further Speaking, Abubakar noted that the restraining order obtained by the Kano State Government from a Kano State High Court against Emir Ado Bayero and others in the face of a subsisting Federal high court order, is a clear case of abuse of Court process and an affront to the authority of the Federal High court, as well as a dangerous precedence capable of undermining the hierarchy of the Courts.
They, therefore, urged President BolaTinubu to urgently intervene and call the Kano Governor to order, as according to them ,his actions are detrimental to the country’s democratic dispensation.
“It has become pertinent to again address you on the executive rascality and gross disregard of the judiciary by the Governor of Kano State ,Abba Kabir Yusuf .
“You will recall that prior to the reinstatement of deposed Muhammad Sanusi as the Emir of Kano, a Federal High Court granted an order restraining the Governor and every other party concerned from reinstating Muhammad Sanusi as Emir of Kano.
“But Governor Yusuf, in breach of the Court order went ahead to reinstate Muhammad Sanusi as Emir of Kano state.
“We know that the Judiciary is conservative and, therefore, look up to the bar to speak for it. As an organization of young Lawyers who are irrevocably dedicated to an independent and free judiciary whose injunctions, judgements and orders must be enforced and obeyed, we are perturbed that a sitting Governor, who swore to protect our laws and constitution will flagrantly disregard a valid court order and engage in illegal actions that are capable of desecrating the hallowed temple of justice.
“We will not allow that to happen unchallenged. The age-long principle of constitutionalism is very clear that no man is above the law .
“The Kano State Governor, irrespective of how highly placed is not an exception. The principle of separation of powers is an indispensable ingredient of democracy, open disregard for the Judiciary arm by the Executive as done by the Governor of Kano State is a recipe for anarchy .
“We implore Nigerians to rise against such power drunk politicians whose actions are capable of eroding our nascent democracy.
“As a group, we will also write to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a time-tested democrat to intervene and call Governor of Kano to order as his actions are not just injurious to our democratic settings, but also capable of overstretching our security architecture by throwing Kano State into endemic and endless crisis
“We also call on the NJC to take more sophisticated steps in protecting the judiciary and making its orders,injunctions and judgements more enforceable.
“Finally ,we give the Governor of Kano state 48 hours to rescind the decision of reinstating Muhammad Sanusi as Emir of Kano against a subsisting court order .
“Failure to adhere to this ultimatum ,we will mobilise Nigerian lawyers to boycott Abba Yusuf and the Government of Kano state until they purge themselves of this unacceptable disregard for the judiciary” NLF stated .
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