The Court of Appeal in Abuja has ordered that all actions related to the reinstatement of Muhammadu Sanusi II as the 16th Emir of Kano be put on hold until the Supreme Court hears the case.
In a unanimous ruling delivered on Tuesday by a three-member panel presided over by Hon. Justice Biobele Abraham Georgewill, the court directed that all parties involved exercise caution pending the hearing of their appeals at the Apex Court.
The Appeal Court’s decision followed the withdrawal of the application filed by the Kano State Government, which had initially sought to enforce the earlier ruling concerning Sanusi’s reinstatement.
The court also noted the transmission of the appeal record to the Supreme Court, indicating that this action effectively stays any execution of the ruling made by the Court of Appeal on March 14, 2025.
During the resumed hearing, Counsel to the Kano State Government, Barrister Ibrahim Wangida, informed the court that all necessary legal procedures had been completed, including the transmission of the case record to the Supreme Court.
Wangida stated that this transmission, based on established legal precedents, effectively operated as a stay on the Court of Appeal’s ruling made on March 14.
Recall that on March 14, 2025, Justice Abang had ordered a stay of execution on the judgment that validated Sanusi’s reinstatement as the Emir of Kano.
The ruling, which came amidst heightened political tensions, also called for the preservation of the status quo, meaning the situation should remain as it was before the trial court’s decision in June 2024, in the case identified as FHC/KN/CS/182/2024.
The Kano State Government, dissatisfied with the March 14 ruling, filed an appeal against it. Counsel to the state government, Wangida, expressed concerns that the ruling by Justice Abang was a violation of constitutional provisions, thus calling for the case to be taken to the Supreme Court.
In response, Senior Advocate Abdul Fagge, representing the appellant, did not oppose the notice of the application but affirmed that the respondent acted within constitutional guidelines.
The case is centered around the recent reinstatement of Muhammadu Sanusi II as the Emir of Kano following the passage of the Kano State Emirate Council (Repeal) Law 2024.
This law not only validated Sanusi’s reinstatement but also confirmed the dismissal of Aminu Ado Bayero as the 15th Emir of Kano, a position that has been highly contested.
Bayero, who had been ousted, has since returned to Kano and taken up residence in the Nassarawa Mini Palace, where he remains under heavy security.
He continues to challenge his removal in the courts, further adding to the political drama surrounding the emirate.
