Abuja, June 21, 2024 (NAN) – The National Coalition of Northern Lawyers and a group of activists under the aegis of Public Interest Activists (NCNLPIA) have lauded the Federal High Court ruling in Kano that reinstated Alhaji Ado Bayero as Emir of Kano.
Mr. Napoleon Otache, convener of NCNLPIA, praised the court on Friday in Abuja for upholding the rule of law and protecting the integrity of traditional institutions. He said at a news conference that “the ruling was a victory for justice, truth, and the people of Kano State.”
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Otache emphasized that the judgment vindicates the widespread belief in the illegality of the Kano State Government’s decision to dissolve the Kano Emirates. He urged Governor Abba Yusuf to apologize to Emir Ado Bayero for the humiliation and embarrassment caused by his dethronement and the unlawful dissolution of the Kano Emirates. “The judgment vindicates the popular stance on the illegality of the Kano State Government in dissolving the Kano Emirates,” he said.
He advised the governor to respect the court’s decision and work towards peace and reconciliation in Kano State. “The judiciary has again proven that it is the last hope of the common man,” Otache added, noting that the ruling underscores the necessity of adhering to the rule of law. “The judiciary has given the rude awakening that it is there to correct the conversion of the Kano State House of Assembly.”
Justice Abdullahi Liman of the Federal High Court, Kano, had overturned all actions taken by Governor Yusuf following the amendment of the Kano Emirate law by the State House of Assembly on May 23. The judge criticized the governor’s assent to the bill and the subsequent appointment of Sanusi on May 24, despite a court order directing all parties to maintain the status quo.
In response, the state government, through Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Haruna Dederi, provided a different interpretation of the ruling. “The Kano State Government acknowledges the ruling by the Federal High Court regarding the Kano Emirates Council (Repeal) Law, 2024, and views same as upholding the rule of law,” Dederi said. “By the ruling of the Court, it has unequivocally reaffirmed the validity of the law passed by Kano State House of Assembly and assented to by His Excellency the Executive Governor of Kano State on Thursday 23rd May, 2024 by 5:10 pm.”
The court’s decision has sparked significant reactions, with many viewing it as a crucial step toward justice and the preservation of traditional authority in Kano State.
