Court restrains Ganduje from appointing new emirs

Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje
Ganduje

A Kano State High Court on Friday restrained Governor Abdullahi Ganduje from appointing four new emirs for the newly created emirates in the state.

The court presided over by Justice Nasiru Saminu also ordered the state government to suspend any move for demarcating the Kano emirate pending the determination of the case filed before it by opposition members of the Kano State House of Assembly.

Governor Ganduje signed a law on Wednesday creating four additional emirates – Gaya, Rano, Karaye, and Bichi – a move widely seen as depletion of Emir Muhammadu Sanusi’s influence.

The matter immediately took a political dimension with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members in the House of Assembly saying that the new emirates were not properly created, accusing the All Progressives Congress (APC) majority of disregarding extant parliamentary procedures.

Minority leader, Rabi’u Gwarzo, and minority whip, Babangida Sulaiman, challenged the procedures followed in creating the four emirates.

The PDP lawmakers said the House was officially on recess and was not properly convened before the law was hurriedly passed on Wednesday.

Confirming the latest development in an interview with Daily Trust, Gwarzo said, “We challenged the creation of the new emirates in court because the procedures followed by the House was illegal. The days and times and entire processes did not conform to ethics of the House, hence our decision to challenge it in court.

“We have secured a court order in that respect and it will soon be made public. We won’t allow this matter to die just like that. Due process must be followed in all undertakings of the House.

“We have rules and regulations governing the conduct of any activity by the House and we will not allow anybody to deviate from the rules of the House.”