The Kano State Government has maintained that Muhammadu Sanusi II remains the 16th Emir of Kano, despite a recent ruling by the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
Speaking to journalists on Friday, the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Haruna Isa Dederi, clarified that the court’s decision does not overturn Sanusi’s reinstatement.
He emphasized that the Court of Appeal had already affirmed the state government’s authority to restore Sanusi as Emir in a ruling issued on January 10, 2025.
Dederi pointed out that the same court cannot nullify its previous ruling, stating that only the Supreme Court has the jurisdiction to overrule such a decision.
His comments were in response to the Court of Appeal’s ruling on a stay of execution request filed by Alhaji Aminu Baba Dan Agundi, a kingmaker supporting the 15th Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero. The request aimed to pause the enforcement of Sanusi’s reinstatement until the Supreme Court delivers its verdict.
Dederi explained that the ruling simply upholds the present situation until the Supreme Court makes a final decision, reiterating that the January 10 judgment remains in effect.
“The Court of Appeal, after considering their application for a stay of execution, ruled that the status quo should be maintained until the Supreme Court issues its ruling. They have already filed an appeal before the Supreme Court.
“This does not mean that the judgment given on January 10, 2025, has been set aside. That ruling is still valid. The Court of Appeal lacks the authority to reverse its own decision—only the Supreme Court has the power to do so,” he stated.
Sanusi II was previously removed as Emir of Kano on March 9, 2020, under the administration of former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, who cited insubordination and disputes with the government as reasons for his dethronement. Following his removal, he was exiled to Nasarawa State.
In May 2024, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf repealed the 2019 Kano State Emirate Council Law, which had divided the Kano Emirate into five smaller jurisdictions.
This move reinstated Sanusi as the sole Emir of Kano, effectively reversing the changes made by the previous administration.
On January 10, 2025, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, led by Justice Mohammad Mustapha, overturned an earlier ruling by the Federal High Court in Kano, which had challenged the government’s actions under the Kano State Emirate Council (Repeal) Law 2024. The appellate court’s decision upheld Sanusi’s return to the throne.
However, Dan Agundi has taken the case to the Supreme Court and requested a stay of execution to delay the implementation of the ruling until the apex court delivers its final judgment.