The Court of Appeal in Abuja has postponed its judgment on six appeals concerning the emirship dispute in Kano State, reserving a decision to be announced at a later date.
The appellate proceedings took place on Wednesday, presided over by a three-member panel led by Justice Mohammed Mustapha. Following arguments presented by both sides, the justices indicated they would deliberate further before issuing a final ruling.
READ ALSO: Kano Governor meets NSA Ribadu amid emirate crisis
Representing the Kano State government, lead counsel Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) and Kano State House of Assembly counsel Okechukwu Edeze (SAN) urged the court to grant the appeals, arguing for the legitimacy of recent emirship decisions. In contrast, respondent counsel P.H. Ogbole (SAN) called on the panel to dismiss the appeals, advocating for the dismissal of the state’s actions.
During the proceedings, the appellate court also addressed three separate motions filed by Alhaji Aminu Baba Dan Agundi. After considering these motions, the panel struck them down for lacking merit, viewing them as improper attempts to modify his appellant briefs. Consequently, the court imposed a fine of N500,000 on Dan Agundi for each of the motions, totaling N1.5 million.
The appeals under the panel’s review include Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero vs Attorney General of Kano State and 10 others (appeal number CA/KN/166/M/2014) and Kano State House of Assembly and another vs Alhaji Aminu Babba Dan Agundi and 6 others (appeal number CA/KN/126/M/2024).
These proceedings follow a recent judgment by Justice Abdullahi Liman of the Federal High Court in Kano, which invalidated Governor Abba Yusuf’s May 23 decision to depose Emir Ado Bayero and install Muhammadu Sanusi II. Justice Liman also declared the Kano Emirate Council (Repeal) Bill, 2024—passed by the Kano State House of Assembly, which sought to eliminate Bayero’s position—as “null and void.”
Justice Liman stated, “The above action violates the order of this court earlier stated,” emphasizing that “the balance of convenience is on the applicant herein (Alhaji Aminu Babba Dan Agundi).”
In a related development, the Kano State High Court has also issued a ruling prohibiting Ado Bayero from representing himself as emir, further intensifying the legal battle over the chieftaincy position in Kano.
