BREAKING: Appeal Court Stops Sanusi’s Reinstatement as Emir of Kano

The drama in Kano’s royal circle just took another twist! The Court of Appeal in Abuja has put the brakes on the reinstatement of Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II as the Emir of Kano. And trust me, it’s a legal rollercoaster!

A three-member panel of justices, led by Justice Okon Abang, made this big move on Friday. They unanimously halted the enforcement of the January 10 ruling that had previously set aside the nullification of Sanusi II’s appointment. They hit the pause button on his return to the throne while the matter heads to the Supreme Court.

Justice Gabriel Kolawole’s January 10 judgment had ruled that the nullification of Sanusi II’s appointment was done without jurisdiction. He ordered the case to be transferred to the Kano State High Court for proper determination. But fast forward to today, and the appellate court is saying, “Hold up! Let’s not rush things.”

In a ruling on fresh applications (CA/KN/27M/2025 and CA/KN/28M/2025), the court decided that the request to stop the previous ruling while awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision was valid and had merit. Justice Abang clarified that the court must act in the interest of justice, especially since Sanusi had served as emir for five years before his removal.

In June 2024, Justice Abubakar Liman of the Federal High Court in Kano nullified the Kano Emirates Council (Repeal) Law 2024, which reinstated Sanusi II as the 16th Emir. That ruling sparked a heated legal battle, with multiple appeals flying left and right.

One of the major issues is whether the Federal High Court had the right to rule on the matter. The appellate court firmly stated that this was a chieftaincy and state legislative issue, not a fundamental rights matter. According to Section 251 of the Nigerian Constitution and Section 22(2) of the Federal High Court Act, this case should have been handled by the Kano State High Court or the FCT High Court from the get-go.

In a bold move, the appellate court ordered the case transferred to the Kano State High Court, ensuring that a new judge (one who hasn’t been involved before) handles it. They also slapped a N500,000 cost against Aminu Baba-Dan’Agundi in favor of the Kano State House of Assembly.

But hold on! Some justices, such as Justice Mohammed Mustapha and Justice Abdul Dogo, felt the case shouldn’t even be transferred. Instead, they ruled that it should be struck out ultimately, and that’s exactly what happened.

This case is far from over! There are five major appeals tied to it, including:

• CA/KN/126/2024 (State Assembly vs. Dan’Agundi)
• CA/ABJ/140/2023 (State Assembly vs. Dan’Agundi)
• CA/ABJ/142/2024 (Kano State Government vs. Dan’Agundi)
• CA/KN/200/2024 (Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero vs. Attorney General of Kano State)
• CA/KN/161/2020 (Kano Government vs. Dan’Agundi)

Each one is connected to the same burning issue before the Federal High Court.

So, where does this leave us? Well, for now, Sanusi’s reinstatement is on hold. The legal chess game continues, and all eyes are on the Supreme Court for the next big move.