The Kano State government has firmly declared that no ruling from the Court of Appeal in Abuja can nullify Muhammadu Sanusi II’s reinstatement as the Emir of Kano.
This statement comes in response to a recent judicial development reported by Daily Sun, which noted that the Court of Appeal had, on Friday, issued an order halting Sanusi’s reinstatement.
The presiding judge in the case instructed all parties, including the Kano State House of Assembly, to preserve the status quo as it existed during the tenure of Emir Ado Bayero. However, the Kano State government, through its Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Barrister Haruna Isa Dederi, dismissed the notion that this directive undermines Sanusi’s position.
Speaking on the matter, Dederi emphasized that a significant ruling delivered by the Court of Appeal on January 10, 2025, had already upheld the Kano State government’s authority to reinstate Sanusi as Emir. “That landmark verdict remains intact. It is legally impossible for the Court of Appeal to overturn its own decision on the same issue,” he argued.
Dederi further explained that the case is now considered “functus officio”—meaning the Appeal Court has exhausted its jurisdiction on the matter. He stressed that only the Supreme Court possesses the authority to alter the January 10 ruling, authored by Justice Mohammad Mustapha.
Addressing the Court of Appeal’s latest directive, Dederi clarified its implications: “Today, the Appeal Court heard an application for a stay of execution and ruled that the current status quo should be maintained until the Supreme Court delivers its judgment. The opposing party has already lodged an appeal with the Supreme Court. However, this does not mean the January 10, 2025, judgment has been nullified. That decision stands firm and remains in effect.”
He reiterated that the Court of Appeal lacks the power to reverse its own ruling, adding, “Only the Supreme Court can set aside a judgment from a lower court. Until that happens, the reinstatement of Sanusi as Emir remains legally valid.”
