The Kano State Government has strongly refuted reports suggesting that the reinstatement of Muhammadu Sanusi II as the 16th Emir of Kano has been nullified by the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
Speaking on the matter, Barrister Haruna Isa Dederi, the Kano State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, clarified that the recent ruling did not overturn Sanusi’s reinstatement but merely placed a temporary hold on its implementation pending a final determination by the Supreme Court.
> “The Court of Appeal’s ruling on Friday does not invalidate the earlier judgment that affirmed Sanusi’s reinstatement. It only suspended its execution until the Supreme Court delivers its verdict,” Dederi emphasized.
Dederi further explained that the Court of Appeal, on January 10, 2025, upheld the Kano State Government’s authority to reinstate Sanusi, dismissing an earlier ruling by the Federal High Court that opposed the move.
> “The judgment of January 10, 2025, remains valid and has not been quashed. The Court of Appeal cannot reverse its own decision; only the Supreme Court has such authority,” he stated.
The state government maintained that any reports claiming that Sanusi’s reinstatement has been nullified are misleading and legally unfounded.
Muhammadu Sanusi II, a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), was first installed as Emir in 2014 but was controversially deposed in March 2020 by the administration of former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.
His removal was widely seen as politically motivated due to his outspoken criticism of government policies. His reinstatement in 2024 by the administration of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf reignited a fierce legal and political contest over the control of Kano’s traditional institutions.
The Federal High Court initially ruled against Sanusi’s reinstatement, but the Court of Appeal overturned that decision in January 2025, citing a lack of jurisdiction by the lower court.
With the latest legal developments, all eyes are now on the Supreme Court, which holds the final authority to settle the dispute. The case has drawn national attention, highlighting the enduring tensions between traditional institutions and political authority in Nigeria.
Legal analysts argue that the Supreme Court’s ruling could set a historic precedent for the governance of traditional institutions across the country.
Meanwhile, Kano remains on edge as the battle for the emirate continues, underscoring the deep-rooted influence of monarchy in northern Nigeria’s political landscape.
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