Appeal Court Ruling Didn’t Nullify Emir Sanusi’s Reinstatement — Kano Gov’t

The Kano State Government has dismissed claims that the recent ruling of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division nullified the reinstatement of Muhammadu Sanusi II as the 16th Emir of Kano.

Addressing journalists in Kano, Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Barrister Haruna Isa Dederi emphasised that the appellate court’s judgment on January 10, 2025, reaffirmed the state government’s authority to reinstate Sanusi.

He clarified that only the Supreme Court has the power to overturn that decision.

LEADERSHIP reports that the remarks followed the Court of Appeal’s ruling on a stay of execution application filed by Aminu Baba DanAgundi, a kingmaker loyal to the 15th Emir, Aminu Ado Bayero, on Friday.

The court ruled that the status quo should be maintained until the Supreme Court delivers its final verdict.

Dederi reiterated that the appellate court had not overturned its own judgment but merely placed a hold on its execution pending the Supreme Court’s ruling.

He further explained that the January 10 judgment had set aside an earlier Federal High Court decision that nullified Sanusi’s reinstatement, affirming that the lower court lacked jurisdiction over the emirate matter.

“It doesn’t mean that the judgment delivered on January 10, 2025, has been quashed. That judgment is still standing and subsisting. The Court of Appeal cannot reverse its own decision; only the Supreme Court has the power to set it aside,” Dederi stated.