A Federal High Court sitting in Kano has nullified the reinstatement of Muhammadu Sanusi II as the 16th Emir of Kano.
The court also put to nought all the actions taken after the reinstatement.
The presiding judge, Justice Abdullahi Liman, said, “I hereby order that every step taken by the government is hereby nullified and becomes null and invalid and that this does not affect the validity of the repealed Emirates Law but actions taken by the governor which include the assenting to the law and the reappointment of Sanusi.
“I have listened to the audio of the governor both in Hausa and English after assenting to the law, and I am convinced that the respondents are aware of the order of maintaining status quo pending the hearing and determination of the motions on notice in the court.
“Having been satisfied that the respondents are aware of the court order, the court, in the exercise of its powers, set aside an action because it is in violation of the court’s order, I think it is a very serious matter for anyone to flout the orders of the court and go scot free with it.”
The court held that the catastrophic situation could have been avoided if the respondents had adhered to due process by complying with the court order, which would still have allowed them to carry out their assignments.
It noted that the respondents, however, chose to act according to their whims and caprices and got themselves into a serious mess.
