(BREAKING) Kano Emirship tussle : Appeal Court rules in Aminu Bayero’s favour

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has nullified an injunction issued by the Kano State High Court, which had barred Aminu Ado-Bayero, the 15th Emir of Kano, along with the former emirs of Bichi, Rano, Gaya, and Karaye, from acting as traditional rulers.

Delivering judgment on Friday, a three-member panel led by Justice Mohammed Mustapha criticized the lower court’s July 15, 2024, decision, citing a breach of fair hearing principles.

The appellate court directed the Chief Judge of the Kano State High Court to assign the case to a different judge for a fresh trial.

“The decision of the Kano High Court was marred by procedural irregularities and violations of the right to a fair hearing,” the Court of Appeal stated, adding that such flaws necessitated its intervention to uphold the integrity of the judicial process.

Despite the ruling, the case remains unresolved, continuing a contentious legal battle over the leadership of the Kano Emirate. The dispute escalated following the passage of a new law by Governor Abba Yusuf last year, which reinstated former Emir Lamido Sanusi, who had been deposed in 2020 by the previous administration of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.

The law dissolved the four additional emirate councils—Gaya, Karaye, Rano, and Bichi—created during Ganduje’s tenure, merging them back into the singular Kano Emirate. This move dethroned the emirs of the newly created emirates, including Ado-Bayero, sparking a wave of conflicting court decisions over the rightful claimant to the throne.

Friday’s appellate court decision to reopen the case underscores the prolonged uncertainty surrounding the Kano Emirate’s leadership, with no definitive resolution yet in sight.

More details to follow….