KANO State House of Assembly has dethroned five emirs, after concluding the amendment of the Emirate Council Law of 2019 that created five emirates.
The decision was taken during plenary on Thursday, May 23, 2024.
According to the bill which passed second and third reading on Thursday, all offices established under the former law have been set aside. It also revived the single emirate system in the state, vesting constitutional powers to appoint a new emir in the State Governor Abba Yusuf alone.
District heads appointed or promoted under the law are also required to return to their previous positions by the new law.
Under the immediate past administration led by Abdullahi Ganduje, the previously existing single emirate system was abolished by the law that is now being amended.
Ganduje established the Bichi, Karaye, Gaya, Rano emirates in addition to the Kano emirate.
Initially, the Kano State High Court nullified the creation of the new emirates. However, the lawmakers in 2019 passed a fresh law that brought about multiple emirs.
The state government then dethroned the existing Kano emir Lamido Sanusi giving insubordination and political interference as reason. He was replaced by Aminu Ado-Bayero, who was transferred from the Bichi emirate to Kano.
Before Sanusi was deposed, the ex-governor’s move to create new emirates was already being seen as an attempt to reduce the emir’s authority.
Sanusi served as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from 2009 to 2014. He was suspended by former president Goodluck Jonathan in 2014.
Speaking on the amendment, Majority Leader of the House Lawan Dala told journalists that the creation of additional emirates through the amended law defeated the aim of the council, which was to serve as a custodian of culture.
The Kano State Assembly also adopted a motion to create a new second class emirate council in Kano on Thursday.
Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via vopara@icirnigeria.org or @ije_le on Twitter.