In a split decision, the Court of Appeal in Abuja has ruled that the Federal High Court in Kano lacks jurisdiction over the ongoing Kano Emirate legal battle.
Justice Gabriel Kolawole, delivering the lead judgment, declared that chieftaincy disputes fall under the purview of the Kano State High Court. While Justice Kolawole ordered the case be returned to the Kano High Court for proper adjudication, the Presiding Justice, Mustapha Mohammed, and another justice dissented, holding that the case should be struck out entirely.
The appellate court’s decision stems from a dispute involving the reinstatement of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi II as Emir of Kano by Governor Abba Yusuf in May 2024. This followed the abolition of four additional emirates created in 2019 under the administration of former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.
The controversy dates back to a 2019 law that divided the Kano Emirate into five emirates, leading to Sanusi’s deposition. Governor Yusuf’s reversal of this law has reignited legal battles over the state’s chieftaincy structure.
With the Appeal Court’s latest ruling, the Federal High Court is now barred from further involvement, adding another twist to the complex legal saga.
