Mohammad Sanusi 11 has affirmed as Emir of Kano by the Court of Appeal while also staying previous actions against his return to the throne.
The decision has added another dimension to the ongoing tussle over the Kano Emirate’s leadership.
A three-member panel of justices, led by Justice Biobele Georgewill, delivered the unanimous decision, emphasizing that the Kano State Government had legally withdrawn its application after transmitting the record of appeal to the Supreme Court.
Recall that the controversy began when the Kano State Government reinstated Muhammadu Sanusi II as Emir under the Kano State Emirate Council (Repeal) Law 2024.
This same law had also validated the removal of Aminu Ado Bayero, the 15th Emir, along with four first-class emirs appointed by former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
However, the legal wrangling escalated on March 14, 2025, when Justice Okon Abang issued a ruling that temporarily halted the Appeal Court’s earlier judgment validating Sanusi’s reinstatement.
The judge ordered all parties to maintain the status quo as it stood before the trial court’s decision on June 13, 2024.
This ruling sparked immediate controversy, with respondents arguing that it was a misinterpretation of constitutional provisions, particularly since an appeal had already been filed at the Supreme Court.
During the latest court proceedings, counsel for the Kano State Government, Ibrahim Wangida, informed the court that a notice of appeal had been filed against the stay of execution order issued on March 14.
Wangida stated that all legal requirements had been met, including transmitting the record to the Supreme Court, which, by judicial precedent, automatically stays any further action on the March 14 ruling.
Following these submissions, the appellate court ordered all parties to exercise caution and refrain from taking further actions pending the Supreme Court’s final judgment
