Court nullifies Governor Ganduje’s creation of additional emirates in Kano State

A High Court sitting in Kano state on Thursday, November 21st nullified the appointment and creation of four additional Emirates by Kano state government.  

Justice Usman Na’abba, who is the presiding judge, ruled that due process was not followed in the creation of the Emirates. In May 2019, Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje had assented the bill seeking the establishment of four additional first-class Emirates Rano, Gaya, Karaya and Bichiin in Kano State.  

Ganduje assented the bill following its passage by the Kano State House of Assembly. With reports ascribing the governor’s decision as a result of rift with Emir Sanusi, Ganduje said the move to create four emirates in Kano was not targeted at anyone but to “take Kano to the next level”.  

He later in the month presented letters of appointment to the four new first-class Emirs during a ceremony held at the state capital. Those presented with the letters of appointment include Aminu Ado Bayero, the son of Late Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero, as the Emir of Bichi; Ibrahim Abulkadir as the Emir of Gaya; Tafida Abubakar as the Emir Of Rano and Abubakar Ibrahim II as the Emir of Karaye.  

The creation of the new Emirates was however met with controversy as four Kano State kingmakers filed a suit against Ganduje and the State Assembly. The creation of four additional Kano Emirates paves way for the decentralisation of the Kano Emirate council thereby decentralising the power of Emir.