The Court of Appeal in Abuja has suspended the reinstatement of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as the 16th Emir of Kano, pending a final decision by the Supreme Court.
The court put a hold on its own January 10 judgment, which had upheld the Kano State Government’s repeal of the 2019 Emirate Council Law.
The legal battle over the Kano Emirate’s leadership took a new turn as a three-member panel of justices, led by Justice Okon Abang, ruled that all actions related to Sanusi’s reinstatement must remain on hold until the Supreme Court resolves the case.
The ruling came after an appeal was filed by Aminu Baba Dan (Sarkin Dawaki Babba) against the Kano State Government, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, the Inspector General of Police, and other security agencies.
The applicant had argued that enforcing the appellate court’s judgment before the Supreme Court’s final ruling could lead to legal complications.
He requested an order to prevent any steps from being taken regarding Sanusi’s position as Emir.
The court agreed, stating that maintaining the status quo was necessary to avoid disrupting the legal process.
As part of the ruling, the applicant was instructed to file an undertaking within 14 days, agreeing to compensate the respondents in case the suspension was later deemed unnecessary.
This latest development means the leadership dispute in the Kano Emirate remains unresolved, with Sanusi’s fate now in the hands of the Supreme Court.
