Abuja, Nigeria
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has ordered a fresh hearing of the case concerning the Kano state emirship dispute involving Aminu Bayero.
TheCable reports that the decision was taken by a three-judge panel, led by Justice Mohammed Mustapha, which found the Kano State High Court’s earlier ruling to be flawed.
The High Court had prohibited Bayero and four other dethroned emirs—those of Bichi, Rano, Gaya, and Karaye—from claiming the title of emir.
The appellate court criticized the High Court for denying Bayero a fair hearing, noting that the trial judge, Amina Adamu Aliyu, had conducted the proceedings in a “shoddy manner” by failing to serve Bayero with a notice to attend the hearing.
Justice Mustapha emphasized that all courts are obligated to ensure fair treatment for all parties, and how the proceedings were handled amounted to a miscarriage of justice.
As a result, the Court of Appeal ordered the case to be sent back to the chief judge of the Kano State High Court for reassignment to a new judge to ensure a fair and speedy resolution.
This case is part of the broader controversy surrounding the emirship of Kano, which saw the reinstatement of Lamido Sanusi as emir by Governor Abba Yusuf on May 24, following the repeal of a law enacted by former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje. This repeal allowed for the dethronement of Bayero, following Sanusi’s return.
