KANO, Nigeria – Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State has signed into law a bill nullifying the four Emirate Councils created by former governor, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje.
The Kano State House of Assembly passed the bill on Thursday, May 23, 2024, and Governor Yusuf promptly gave his assent.
The new Kano Emirates Council Law effectively abolishes the establishment of the additional four Emirate Councils—Bichi, Gaya, Rano, and Karaye—created under the previous administration.
This move reinstates Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as the Emir of Kano, while the four Emirs have been given 48 hours to vacate their offices.
The repealed law mandates that all district heads elevated or appointed under the previous law revert to their former positions.
This legislative action follows a series of predictions and reports, including one from News Band on June 14, 2023, which hinted at a potential restoration of Sanusi as Emir and the scrapping of the new Emirates.
The Bill was the first official assignment of the Kano State House of Assembly inaugurated on June 13, 2023.
Political analysts anticipated this development following the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) victory in the 2023 governorship election, led by Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, under whose administration Sanusi was initially crowned Emir.
The creation of the new Emirates in 2019 by former Governor Ganduje faced significant opposition, particularly from Kwankwaso, who condemned both the dethronement of Sanusi and the establishment of the new Emirates.
The Kano Assembly had previously amended the Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs Law on May 8, 2019, facilitating the decentralisation of the Kano Emirate Council.
This amendment stripped Sanusi of control over 44 local governments, leaving him with only 10 under his jurisdiction, before he was eventually dethroned and banished.
In a significant legal development, a High Court in Kano, on November 21, 2019, nullified the creation of the four Emirate Councils. Justice Usman Na’abba, the presiding judge, declared the creation of the Emirates and the appointment of the four Emirs illegal.
Despite this ruling, Ganduje continued his administrative duties without acknowledging the court’s decision.
Governor Yusuf’s recent actions are seen as a move to appease his political benefactor, Kwankwaso, by reinstating Sanusi II as the Emir of Kano and dismantling the structure established by Ganduje.
This reinstatement marks the return of Sanusi II to the throne of the ancient city, five years after his removal and banishment.
