KANO — Kano State Government on Saturday said the Court of Appeal did not set aside its earlier judgment recognising Muhammadu Sanusi as the 16th Emir of Kano.
The State’s Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Haruna Dederi, stated this while reacting to speculations in some quarters over the recent stay of execution granted by the Court of Appeal.
Dederi, while setting the record straight, said a party in the matter, Aminu Babba Dan’Agundi, dissatisfied with the Appeal Court judgment, had applied for a stay of execution of the judgment pending outcome of the Supreme Court in which the lower court granted it.
The Commissioner said the Appeal Court only ordered that status quo be maintained but not setting aside the judgment.
According to him, “This has become necessary in order to correct the gross misrepresentations and speculative reports emanating from some quarters apparently intended to create disharmony amongst the citizens in Kano.
“It will be recalled that on the 10th of January, 2025, the Court of Appeal had delivered Judgment which upheld the repeal of the Kano Emirate Council Law, 2019 and also set aside the ruling of the Federal High Court, Kano, which nullified the steps taken by the Kano State Government under the Kano Emirate Council (Repeal) Law 2024..
“Being dissatisfied with this judgment of the Court of Appeal, Alh. Aminu Babba Dan’agundi filed an Appeal against the said decision at the Supreme Court of Nigeria. In the normal course of judicial process, Alh. Aminu Babba Dan’agundi then applied for the stay of the execution of the Judgment of the Court of Appeal.
“The respected Panel of Justices heard and granted the application for stay pending the hearing and determination of the subsisting Appeal before the Supreme Court. This is normal and usual routine application for the maintenance of status quo pending the determination of substantive appeal.
“It is, however, worrisome seeing the various captions and headlines deliberately intended to mislead the general public by misrepresenting the facts.
“We hereby use this medium to call upon those involved in these negative and destructive misrepresentations to desist from interfering in judicial processes. The judiciary as a sacred institution must be jealously respected and guarded for the preservation of peace and orderliness of society.
“For the avoidance of any doubt, the court of Appeal that entertained the application of Alh. Aminu Babba Dan’agundi did not set aside the judgment the same court delivered on the 10th of January, 2025. That judgment is still valid and subsisting until the determination of the appeal before the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
“We call on the general public to resist any provocation and continue to be law abiding. The Kano State Government has already instructed its lawyers to closely study the outcome for the determination of the next line of action in accordance with our extant laws,” Dederi stated.
