A Kano High Court presided over by Justice A. T. Badamasi has granted an interim order restraining Governor Abdullahi Ganduje from taking away powers and functions of four Kano kingmakers under the guise of Kano State Emirates Council Law, 2019.

Justice Badamasi also ordered that pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice, the governor should not take any step whatsoever under the law on the subject in dispute without consultation with the kingmakers

The order of the court, dated December 10, followed an application brought by the four kingmakers, namely the Madakin Kano, Yusuf Naaba Nabahani; the Makama Kano, Abdullahi Sarki Ibrahim; the Sarkin Dawaki Maituta, Bello Abubakar; and Sarkin Ban Kano, Mukhtari Adnan against the governor.

Also listed as defendants in the suit were Speaker of the House of Assembly, the House of Assembly, the Attorney General, the four emirs of the newly created emirates, namely Tafida Abubakar Ila, Ibrahim Abdulkadir Gaya, Ibrahim Abubakar and Aminu Ado Bayero.

The matter was adjourned to December 17 for mention.

The four kingmakers had earlier approached the court seeking to restrain the governor or his agents from inaugurating the newly constituted Kano State Council of Chiefs.

The four kingmakers had also asked the court to stop the governor from taking any step or doing anything to remove, depose or transfer the Emir of Kano under the purported Kano State Emirates Council Law, 2019 without due inquiry and consultation with the kingmakers, who by tradition and enshrined customs are entitled to be consulted.

The governor had announced the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II as the Chairman Kano State Council of Chiefs.

A statement on Monday by the governor’s spokesman, stated that the position of the chairman shall be rotational among the five Emirs who would serve for a tenure of only two years each.

The statement directed the chairman of the council to immediately summon the inaugural meeting of the council in accordance with the provisions of the law.