Prominent Citizens of Kano State under the aegis ADVOCATES FOR A UNITED KANO have sued the Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje over the lingering Kano Emirate Leadership.
In statement made available to Control TV, the groups Media arm said it has filed fresh action before the Kano State High Court challenging the creation of additional Emirates in the State by the Government.
The Plaintiffs in the new suit dated 13-12-2019 include Bashir Othman Tofa, Rt. Hon. Ghali Umar Na’abba, Prof. Awwal Hamisu Yadudu, Alh. Abdulrahman Dikko; Alh. Abba Dabo, Prof. Jibrin Ibrahim, Ibrahim Ado Kurawa & 13 others.
They are suing the Governor, the Speaker of the House, the House, the Attorney General, the Emir of Kano, Kano Emirate and the Four newly and purportedly appointed Emirs.
The Suit was filed on Friday the 13th December, 2019 with Suit No. K/517/2019 and assigned to High Court 1 presided over by the Chief Judge of Kano State. The suit is seeking, among other reliefs, an order setting aside the recently passed Kano State Emirates Council Law, 2019.
The Law was passed and assented to during the pendency of another proceedings instituted by the Kingmakers in Suit No. K/197/2019 which challenged the powers of the Government to create additional emirates.
According to the group, “This is clearly disrespectful of judicial process”.
The Plaintiffs also contended that the acts of the Defendants have violated the preservation of their cultural rights protected and guaranteed under the Constitution and the African Charter.
The Chief Judge in his ruling ordered that the process filed by the prominent citizens of Kano State be served by substituted means and adjourned the matter to the 8th day of January, 2020 for hearing of a Motion on Notice.
Meanwhile, the Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, on Thursday, said he has received a letter urging him to, in the interest of protecting the sanctity of the rule of law, start the process of dethroning the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II.
In a statement by Ganduje’s spokesperson, Abba Anwar, he stated that the request was from a coalition of 35 civil society groups.
The groups accused the Emir of “undermining the constituted authority” and trying to “create a state within a state.”
“The letter titled ‘Kano State Emirate Council Law, 2019 : Demand Letter’ Reads: ‘The coalition of 35 Civil Society Groups under the above-mentioned group the UMBRELLA OF KANO CONCERNED CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS are curiously studying the unfolding events in the running of Kano State affairs especially in recent time, as it relates to the lingering face-off between the Government of Kano State on one hand and the Emir of Kano on the other hand,’.
“Reminding specifically that, matters that arose from the aftermath of Kano State High Court decision nullifying the Kano State Emirate Council Law, that was enacted by the State House of Assembly, which eventually paved way for the enactment of another Law, creating additional 4 First Class Emirates, which also empowers the Governor to take disciplinary measures against any erring emir, ‘…should be effected,’ according to the letter.
“The letter was signed by Comrade Ibrahim Ali, Chairman of the Coalition, which continues that, ‘Soon afterwards, the same Law which repeals all the existing Emirate Councils Laws, and consolidates it in the Kano State Emirate Council Law 2019, was again been challenged first by the purportedly 5 kingmakers from one of the 5 Emirates established by the said law.’
The governor’s spokesperson said the groups suggested that “with the recent decision of Kano State High Court, His Excellency shall proceed and ensure the full take-off of the Council of Emirs in the State. So as to stop the current distraction and generation of controversy.”
According to Anwar, the letter sought that, “If the Emir of Kano fails to submit to the authority of the government of Kano State, we call on the Governor of Kano State on the strongest term, to act strictly in accordance with the provision of Kano Emirate Council Law 2019 in order to heed the state forward.”
In November, a high court in the state sacked four emirs installed by the governor Ganduje, nullifying the law creating additional emirates.
However, the governor sent a fresh bill seeking the creation of four additional emirates to the state assembly and he signed the bill into law after it was passed by the lawmakers.
He, thereafter, appointed Emir Sanusi II as head of Kano chiefs, citing the new emirate council law.
Emir Sanusi II has remained silent since the start of the controversial GAME of THRONES!.
(C) Control TV 2019.
