Appeal Court Suspends Sanusi Lamido Sanusi’s Reinstatement As Emir Of Kano.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has suspended the reinstatement of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as the 16th Emir of Kano, pending a final ruling by the Supreme Court. The decision halts the enforcement of the court’s earlier judgment, which had upheld the Kano State Government’s repeal of the 2019 Emirate Council Law.
A three-member panel of justices, led by Justice Okon Abang, ruled that all actions related to Sanusi’s reinstatement must be paused until the Supreme Court delivers its verdict on the matter.
Legal Battle Over Kano Emirate Leadership
The ruling follows an appeal filed by Aminu Baba Dan (Sarkin Dawaki Babba) against the Kano State Government, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, the Inspector General of Police, and other security agencies. The applicant argued that implementing the appellate court’s decision before the Supreme Court’s final judgment could lead to legal complications.
In response, the court agreed that maintaining the status quo was necessary to avoid disrupting the legal process. The applicant was also directed to submit an undertaking within 14 days, agreeing to compensate the respondents should the suspension later be deemed unwarranted.
Uncertainty Over Emirate Leadership
This latest ruling means that the leadership dispute within the Kano Emirate remains unresolved. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, who was removed as Emir in 2020, had been reinstated following the Kano State Government’s decision to repeal the 2019 law that had led to the creation of additional emirates in the state.
With the case now heading to the Supreme Court, the fate of the Kano Emirate’s leadership will be determined in the coming months.