Ganduje suffers setback as court nullifies his creation of four emirate councils in Kano

GOVERNOR Abdullahi Ganduje has suffered a major setback in his ongoing spat with the Emir of Kano after a state high court nullified hi8s creation of four additional first-class emirates earlier this year.

Since Nigeria's general elections in February, Governor Ganduje and Emir Lamido Sanusi have been involved in a public spat over the traditional ruler's decision not to back the governor. Governor Ganduje has since then asked anti-graft agencies to probe the finances of the Kano emirate and then followed this up by carving out four additional council in a bid to reduce the emir's influence.

According to political insiders, Governor Ganduje is not happy about the fact that the emir backed his political rival during the last Kano State gubernatorial elections. However, the governor's decision to reduce the emir's influence has not gone down well with many of the custodians of Kano culture as they see him destroying a traditional institution over a personal vendetta.

On behalf of Emir Sanusi, petitioners had challenged the governor's actions and today, a Kano State high court nullified the creation the four additional first-class emirates and their emirs by the state government. Justice Usman Na’Abba, said the law that provided for the creation of the emirates was not properly enacted, based on the provision of section 101 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.

Justice Na’Abba said the Kano State House of Assembly had violated the provision of Section 101 of the 1999 constitution which allows it to make laws. He then declared the law creating the emirates null and void, saying the petition for the creation of the emirate was faulty.

On May 8, 2019, Governor Ganduje had assented to the bill for the creation of the four additional emirates after it was passed by the Kano State House of Assembly. Rabiu Gwarzo, a member of the Kano State House of Assembly, had filed a suit challenging the creation of the new emirates.