Emirate Tussle: Bayero, Sanusi head to Supreme Court

The Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja on Tuesday, set aside earlier actions delivered against the reinstatement of Muhammadu Sanusi II as 16th emir of Kano.

The Appellate Court, upon taking cognisance of the transmission of the record to the Supreme Court, directed all interested parties to exercise caution pending the hearing of their appeals at the Apex Court.

In a unanimous ruling delivered on Tuesday by a three-member panel of Justices, led by Justice Biobele Abraham Georgewill, the Court agreed with the withdrawal of the application filed by the Kano State Government after transmission of the record of Appeal to the Supreme Court.

Resuming hearing on the rule on enforcement of its earlier orders, counsel to Kano state government, Barrister Ibrahim Wangida intimated the court a notice of appeal moved against a stay of execution held on Friday, 14th March 2025.

Barrister Wangida had told the court all necessary legal actions had been perfected, including the transmission of the record to the Supreme Court.

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The transmission of record of the appeal to the Supreme Court by implication and by decided authorities or judicial precedent operates as a stay of any action of the ruling of the Court of Appeal of 14th March, 20015

Justice Abang, had on Friday, 14th March 2025, ordered a stay of execution of its earlier judgment that validated the reinstatement of Muhammadu Sanusi II as the 16th emir of Kano.

The Judge also ordered all parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum as well as the sheriff of the court and trial court, as was the position before the trial court in its delivered on 13/6/2024 in suit no. FHC/KN/CS/182/2024.

Dissatisfied with the ruling of Justice Abang, counsel to the Kano state government, Wangida faulted the Friday 14th March ruling, which he considered a gross error of provisions of the Constitution. He said the appeal was already filed before the Apex Court.

Responding to the notice of the application, Counsel to the appellant, Abdul Fagge, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, who did not object to the notice, told the court the respondent acted within the constitutional provision.

Recall that Kano State Government reinstated Muhammadu Sanusi II as 16th emir of Kano pursuant to the Kano State Emirate Council (Repeal) Law 2024. The same law validated the disposed of Aminu Ado Bayero as 15th emir along four first class emirs appointed by former Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

Bayero, however, returned to occupy the Nassarawa mini palace in Kano with heavy security cover while challenging his dethronement by the State Government through Alhaji Aminu Dan Agundi.