The reinstated Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido has officially received his letter of appointment as the 16 Emir or Kano from Governor Abba Yusuf.

The event was held at the Kano State Government House on Friday.

Details later…

Sanusi Muhammadu Lamido, the reinstated Emir of Kano, has arrived at Kano State Government House to receive his letter of appointment prelude to resuming duty as the new emir.

The new first-class Emir of the state was honoured in a homecoming reception late Thursday.

Lamido is expected to be at the Africa House in Kano Government House for a mini-durbar ceremony by 10 a.m. today, from where he would proceed to the Nassarawa Emir’s palace.

From there, the Emir will lead the Muslim Jumat prayers (Friday) at the Kano Central mosque located at the palace in Kofar Kudu.

Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, on Thursday, reappointed Lamido as the Emir of Kano, four years after he was dethroned by a former governor of the state, Abdullahi Ganduje.

In addition, the governor deposed five emirs appointed by Ganduje and gave them a 48-hour ultimatum to vacate their official residences and palaces.

Yusuf also directed them to hand over all affairs to the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

However, the Federal High Court in Kano has issued an order stopping the Kano State Government from enforcing the Kano State Emirate Council Repeal Law.

Justice Mohammed Liman granted the order in an application by Alhaji Aminu Babba Dan Agundi, the Sarkin Dawaki Babba of the Kano Emirate.

In the lawsuit concerning the Emir’s seat, the respondents in the fundamental rights case are the Kano State Government, the House of Assembly, the Speaker, the Attorney-General, the Commissioner of Police, the Inspector-General of Police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the State Security Service.

The Kano state government says Muhammadu Sanusi will be reinstated as the Emir of Kano on Friday despite a subsisting court order to the contrary.

On Thursday, the state assembly passed the amended Kano State Emirate Council (Repeal) Bill 2024.

Afterwards, the bill was signed into law by Abba Yusuf, governor of Kano.

The law repealed the 2019 version, which balkanised the Kano emirate into five jurisdictions and was relied upon to dethrone Muhammadu Sanusi as Emir in 2020.

Following the repeal of the 2019 legislation, Sanusi was reinstated as Emir of Kano by kingmakers and the governor.

Hours later, a federal high court in Kano ordered the state government not to enforce the new law.

Mohammed Liman, the judge, asked the government to “suspend” and “not give effect to the Kano State Emirate Council (Repeal) Law, 2024, as they affect all offices and institutions of the Emirate Council created pursuant to the provisions of the Kano State Emirate Council Law, 2019″.

The court then adjourned the case to June 3 “for hearing of the fundamental rights application”.

In a chat with Arise TV on Friday, Sanusi Bature, chief press secretary to the Kano governor, said the court motion “came at a very wrong time” and the state government “is not bound” by the order.

He said the order “came at a time when the decision has been taken, and court orders are meant to prevent something that is about to happen”.

The media aide added that Sanusi will receive “the reappointment letter” from the governor on Friday.

“Unfortunately for those that filed this case, the court order came many hours after the decision of the governor. The bill that was signed into law emanated from the state house of assembly. It was not even an executive bill,” Bature said.

“After reviewing, the governor decided to restore Kano state’s lost glory. Over a thousand year history of the state has been bastardised by the previous administration.

“The reinstatement of Emir Sanusi was done in good faith by the governor and in the best interest of the people of Kano.

“The court order came at a time when the decision has been taken, and court orders are meant to prevent something that is about to happen.

“The governor gave the order by 5pm and the court order came by 11pm. This is just something that came at a very wrong time, and by law, the state is not bound by this court order.

“Therefore, the Emir is being restored, and the other Emirs were given 48 hours to vacate the palaces.

“Emir Sanusi is already in Kano. He arrived yesterday. By 10am this morning, Emir Sanusi is going to receive the reappointment from the governor in a colourful event and all the district heads will submit to him.”