Kingmakers in the Kano emirate have dragged Abdullahi Ganduje, governor of Kano state, to court over his attempts to depose Emir Mohammed Sanusi II.
Recall that there have been media reports that Ganduje was making moves to depose Sanusi for allegedly being against his re-election.
The governor had gone ahead to speedily split Kano into five emirates: Kano, Rano, Gaya, Karaye and Bichi, and five emirs of equal jurisdiction.
The suit, numbered K/197/2019 filed, filed a state high court on Tuesday, names Ganduje, the state house of assembly, attorney-general of the state and five others as the defendants, while the kingmakers— Yusuf Nabahani (Madakin Kano), Abdullahi Sarki Ibrahim (Makaman Kano), Bello Abubakar (Sarkin Dawaki man Tuta) and Mukhtari Adnan (Sarikin Ban Kano)— were listed as first, second, third and fourth plaintiffs respectively.
According to the kingmakers, the governor’s assent to the bill breaking up the emirate was done in bad faith and the action was a desecration of centuries-old tradition.
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The suit also asked the court to stop the governor from deposing Sanusi or transferring him out of Kano emirate without consulting them.
“The defendants, in purporting to amend the Emirs (Appointment and Deposition) Law, 1984 have desecrated centuries old and highly revered traditions and heritage of the people of Kano and have uprooted the Plaintiffs various traditional titles without giving a hearing to the Plaintiffs and their clans or having regards to ancestral history by hurriedly enacting the Kano State Emirs law, 2019,” a copy of the suit seen by TheCable read.
“The defendants desecrated the ancestral history and all known laws connected with or pertaining to Kano Emirate’s customs and tradition by: (a) establishing Bichi Emirate comprising of 9 local governments including Dawakin Tofa and Dambatta, the ancestral homes of the 1st and 4th plaintiffs. The first plaintiffs have her been under any authority of Bichi district.
“(b) Establsihing Gaya Emirate comprising 8 local governments including Wudil and Gabasawa, the ancestral homes of the 2nd and 3rd plaintiffs.”
The kingmakers are seeking a declaration that the passage of the law breaking the emirate was not for peace, order and good governance of the state and therefore contrary to Section 4 (7) of the 1999 constitution.
With the suit, they want the court to declare that the governor lacks the power under the existing “emirs laws of Kano state, 1991 to appoint emirs of Bichi, Rano, Gaya, Karaye or any other person and that the appointments made are unconstitutional, illegal, null and void”.
To this end, the new monarchs will not be allowed from parading themselves as emirs.
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