A panel of three justices, led by Justice Okon Abang, issued the ruling on Friday, effectively putting on hold the enforcement of the January 10 judgment that had overturned Sanusi’s removal. The appellate court’s decision came in response to fresh applications, CA/KN/27M/2025 and CA/KN/28M/2025, which sought to maintain the status quo until the case is conclusively determined by the apex court.
Kano, Nigeria – The Court of Appeal in Abuja has suspended the reinstatement of Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II as the Emir of Kano, pending the Supreme Court’s decision on the matter.
A panel of three justices, led by Justice Okon Abang, issued the ruling on Friday, effectively putting on hold the enforcement of the January 10 judgment that had overturned Sanusi’s removal. The appellate court’s decision came in response to fresh applications, CA/KN/27M/2025 and CA/KN/28M/2025, which sought to maintain the status quo until the case is conclusively determined by the apex court.
Justice Abang emphasized that the court must act in a manner that preserves the rights of all parties, noting that Sanusi had previously served as Emir for five years before his removal in 2020.
The legal dispute originated from a ruling delivered on June 20, 2024, by Justice Abubakar Liman of the Federal High Court in Kano. That judgment nullified the Kano State Government’s Kano Emirates Council (Repeal) Law 2024, which had facilitated Sanusi’s return to the throne. The court also directed all parties to maintain the existing order under Emir Ado Bayero’s reign.
However, the appellate court ruled that the case should have been heard at the Kano State High Court or the FCT High Court, rather than the Federal High Court. Consequently, it ordered the transfer of the case and imposed a cost of N500,000 on the applicant, Aminu Baba-Dan’Agundi, in favor of the Kano State House of Assembly.
Despite some differing opinions within the judiciary, the Court of Appeal ultimately struck out Baba-Dan’Agundi’s case at the Federal High Court, reinforcing that the matter should be handled at the appropriate judicial level.
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