Kano, Nigeria – The Kano State government maintains that Muhammadu Sanusi II remains the Emir of Kano, despite a recent Court of Appeal ruling. Attorney General Haruna Isa Dederi clarified the government’s position on the ongoing Kano Emirship dispute.
Dederi stated that a January 10, 2025, Court of Appeal judgment affirmed the Kano State government’s power to reappoint Sanusi. He asserted that the same court cannot overturn its own prior decision.
Court Ruling Explained
The Attorney General responded to the Appeal Court’s ruling on a stay of execution application filed by Alh. Aminu Baba Dan Agundi, a kingmaker loyal to the 15th Emir. Dederi argued the matter is “functua officio,” meaning only the Supreme Court can overturn the Appeal Court’s decision. He clarified that the Appeal Court’s order to maintain the status quo pending a Supreme Court judgment does not nullify the January 10 ruling that favored Sanusi’s reinstatement regarding the Kano Emirship.
“The January 10, 2025, judgment is still standing,” Dederi emphasized, adding that only the Supreme Court can set aside a lower court’s judgment. The Kano Emirship dispute began when DanAgundi challenged Sanusi’s appointment as the 16th Emir.
