•Sacks four emirs
•Govt rejects verdict
Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano
The Kano State Government yesterday rejected the decision of a Kano High Court nullifying the creation of four new emirates from Kano Emirate, saying that it is the constitutional responsibility of the state House of Assembly to create new emirates.
The court yesterday nullified the creation of four additional first-class emirates and sacked their emirs installed by the state government.
Justice Usman Na’Abba, delivering judgment in a suit challenging the balkanisation of the Kano Emirate, said the law that provided for the creation of the emirate was not properly enacted to be in line with the provision of Section 101 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
The judge ruled that due process was not followed in the creation of the emirates.
Justice Usman said the Kano State House of Assembly violated constitutional provisions, which allows it to make laws.
He added that the Kano State House of Assembly’s rules and regulations have to be in conformity with the constitution.
He nullified the proceedings of the Assembly conducted on May 6, 7 and 8, which created the new emirates.
The judge said Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, should not have assented to the bill since its procedure was faulty.
Justice Na’Abba had earlier dismissed the preliminary objections by the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ibrahim Mukhtar, and other respondents in the suit that the plaintiff lacks the right to challenge the new Kano law.
The judge ruled that the plaintiff, Mr. Rabiu Gwarzo, who was the minority leader in the House of Assembly, gave sufficient reasons for filing the suit and thus has the ‘locus standi’ to do so.
Gwarzo is representing Gwarzo Local Government Area in the legislature.
Justice Na’Abba also restrained the four new emirs appointed by Ganduje from parading themselves as first class emirs.
He declared the law creating the emirates null and void, saying the petition for the creation of the emirate was faulty.
On May 8, 2019, Ganduje had assented to the bill creating four additional emirates – Rano, Gaya, Karaya and Bichi – in Kano State.
Ganduje assented to the bill following its passage by the House of Assembly.
Following insinuations that the creation of the new emirates was to water down the influence of the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammad Sanusi ll, the governor said the move to create four emirates in Kano was not targeted at anyone but to take Kano to the next level.
Those presented with the letters of appointment as emirs for the new emirates were Aminu Ado Bayero, the son of the late Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero, as the Emir of Bichi; Ibrahim Abdulkadir, as the Emir of Gaya; Tafida Abubakar, as the Emir of Rano, and Abubakar Ibrahim II, as the Emir of Karaye.
Reacting to the court judgment, the state government rejected the court’s decision, saying that it would continue to recognise the new emirs.
It, however, said it would study the ruling with a view to taking immediate and appropriate action.
A statement by the state Commissioner of Information, Malam Muhammad Garba, which was made available to THISDAY, regretted that despite the constitutional power and authority conferred on the Assembly on such issue, the court ruled otherwise.
The statement added that the state government would not fold its arms and concede such constitutional power in the interest of the wellbeing of the people and general development of the state.
It said despite the ruling, the government would continue to recognise the four emirs.
The state government advised the people of the state to be calm, law-abiding and await further action.
Meanwhile, hundreds of youths across the four emirates dissolved by the state high court yesterday, staged a peaceful protest against the sacking of four emirates.
The youths, simultaneously staged the protests at Karaye, Rano, Bichi and Gaya emirates, carrying placards with various inscriptions.
At Karaye, it was gathered that the youths who converged on the local government secretariat marched on the emir’s palace, which is about two kilometres away.
The protesters carried placards with inscriptions “We stand by our emirate.’ ‘We stand with emir of Karaye”, among others.
At Bichi emirate also, dozens of youths were sighted at some spots in the town preparing to proceed for the protest, but some youths were seen carrying placards around the emirs palace in protest to the court’s decision.
In Rano emirate, it was the same thing as youths, including women, were sighted around the emir’s palace shouting “bamu yadda ba”, meaning, “it is unacceptable” in Hausa parlance.
In Gaya, dozens of youths had staged the protest, as some of them were hanging banners and placards on motorbikes that carry inscriptions that show their displeasure at the decision of the court to sack the emirs.
It was also learnt that security operatives had been deployed in the four emirates in a bid to avert possible break of law and order.
