The Kano State government and legal practitioner Abba Hikima have expressed differing interpretations of the Federal High Court’s ruling on Thursday concerning the claim to the Kano royal stool by Muhammadu Sanusi and Aminu Ado Bayero.
Justice Abdullahi Liman of the Federal High Court in Kano overturned actions taken by Governor Abba Yusuf following the State House of Assembly’s amendment of the Kano Emirate law on May 23, 2024.
Reacting to the ruling, Sanusi Bature, the Director General, Media and Publicity to Governor Abba Yusuf, argued in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today that the judgment favored the state government.
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Bature emphasized that the ruling confirmed the dissolution of the five emirates established in 2019.
Bature stated, “People need to understand that yesterday’s judgment is in our favor because of several reasons. One, the judgment accepted the validity of the repealed law 2024, which invalidates the five emirates and also deposed the five Emirs in Kano. So, therefore, at the moment and based on yesterday’s judgment, Aminu Ado Bayero and the other four Emirs were officially deposed and they should remain deposed until the determination of the appeal that was filed by us.”
However, Abba Hikima disagreed with Bature’s interpretation. He contended that the court’s ruling set aside the repeal of the law that established the five emirates.
Hikima pointed out that the court’s decision does not affect the validity of the law, as the substantive suit is still pending.
Hakima explained, “The ruling of the Federal High Court yesterday was very clear. In fact, the certified true copy of that ruling is currently going round on social media, and it is clear that the first order given by that court is that all actions taken pursuant to the 2024 Kano State repealed law are set aside. The second order was that that does not affect the validity or invalidity of the law because it is a subject of a substantive suit which is still pending before the court.”
The contrasting interpretations of the ruling underscore the ongoing legal and political complexities surrounding the Kano royal stool. The final outcome will depend on the pending substantive suit and any further appeals.
