Confusion as two courts issues conflicting orders on Emirship crisis in Kano

*Commonsense now needs to come to play, worried respondent urges

*Says, ‘Politicians should stay off traditional institution in Northern, Southern Nigeria’

*Reveals, ‘Ado Bayero, Sanusi are cousins who lived in same room together growing up’

*Warns, ‘Allowing political leaders to toss traditional rulers around is tantamount to destroying family, nationhood’

By OUR REPORTER, Kano

A deeper thought came into the emirship tussle in Nigeria’s second economic nerve centre and political headquarters on Tuesday May 28, 2024, when two courts issued others that were conflicting on same subject matter: one agaibst and the other in favour.

This was as a Federal High Court and a Kano State High Court both issued contradictory rulings on the matter.

The Federal High Court ordered the removal of the reinstated Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II but the Kano State High Court ordered a restraint in the matter.

It will be recalled that the Kano State government – empowered by new Emirate Law recently passed by the state House of Assembly – had abolished the four new emirates created by the Emirate Law of 2019 and, in furtherance to that, deposed Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero as the Emir of Kano.

That action paved the way for the action that followed, which saw the government reinstating as 16th Emir of Kano Alhaji Muhamadu Sanusi II, who was deposed as 14th Emir of Kano in 2019 by then Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje following a disagreement between both personalities.

The Federal High Court sitting in Kano was reported Tuesday, while responding to an ex parte motion by Bayero, to have ordered the eviction of Sanusi II from the main palace.

However, the state High Court prohibited the police, Department of State Service (DSS) and other security agencies from arresting Sanusi or invading the palace where he currently rules from.

It was also gathered that the Kano High Court, led by Justice Amina Adamu Aliyu, also issued a restraining order preventing security agencies from forcibly removing Sanusi II.

It additionally prohibited interference with the Emir’s functions and symbols of authority.

According to the report, the respondents in the cases included various government officials and security agencies.

In the meantime, heavy security was observed around Bayero’s guest house, where he has been staying.

The DEFENDER hathered that political figures and groups have weighed into the situation with calls leaders to respect court orders and bring about a peaceful resolution to the sad development.

A particular respondent, who refused to be mentioned because of the sensitive nature of the Kano Emirate tussle, told our reporter that, “Now is the time for commonsense to prevail. This is so because Nigeria’s most revered and most professionally dominated institution, the traditional institution, is now at the mercy of politicians abd this must stop.”

Speaking further he said, “What politicians should always remember is that they cannot stay in office for more than eight years but traditional rulers have a lifetime tenure and are the closest in the line of authority to their people. If any political leader would take action against a traditional ruler on matter of personal interest, which is political and not traditional, he should know that he has created a problem that will linger for longer time to come.

“This is where I would stand with former President Muhammadu Buhari’s commonly used word while warning saboteurs of nation’s progress and he said: ‘For every action there will always be consequences’. All of these disrespect for traditional institution must stop.

“That was what also happened to politicians of the country during Buhari administration, when they plotted hatred and promised hell lying in wait for a revered traditional ruler because he refused to get involved in partisan politics.

“It was this your paper that waded into the matter saying traditional leaders should not be blamed when their doors are open to all politicians because they have a role of father to all of them. When the politicians have dispute among themselves, who will bring about peace among them when the traditional rulers that should be habiters between the warring parties are being forced to get involved in partisanship?

“More painfully, these two personalities. Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II and Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero are cousins, who had lived together in the same room growing up. Partisan politicis will be seen as parasite and threat to family ties and peace of the nation, therefore, if what is being done to Emirship of Kano by politicians is allowed to stand.

“No Governor anywhere in Nigeria should ever any longer give it a thought to interfere in traditional rulership matters or disrespect a sitting traditional rulers because, doing so is tantamount to destroying the very fabrics of family and, by extension, nationhood,” he warned.