Emirship Crisis: Northern Lawyers Issue 48-Hour Ultimatum To Gov Yusuf Over Sanusi’s Reinstatement

Kano State governor, Abba Yusuf, has been warned by a group of lawyers from Northern Nigeria to retract the reinstatement of Emir Muhammad Sanusi II within 48 hours.

At a briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, the Northern Lawyers’ Forum criticized Sanusi’s reinstatement, labeling it as both unconstitutional and against the norms of the Kano Emirate.

The Director General of the forum, Barr Umar Sadiq Abubakar, maintained that Sanusi’s initial removal aligned with Emirate laws and customs, emphasizing that his reinstatement might disrupt order and weaken the state’s commitment to the rule of law.

Abubakar accused Governor Yusuf of undermining the country’s judiciary by deliberately disobeying a Federal High Court ruling that prohibited the reinstatement of Sanusi.

He stated that Yusuf’s purported injunction from the Kano State High Court, claiming to override the existing order, constitutes a direct challenge to the authority of the Federal High Court and sets a dangerous precedent that undermines the hierarchical structure of the country’s courts.

The group cautioned that unless the governor reverses his actions, they would be compelled to pursue “all necessary legal avenues” to safeguard the judiciary and the welfare of Kano State’s citizens.

The statement partly reads: “It has become pertinent to again address you on the Executive rascality and gross disregard of the judiciary by the executive governor of Kano state, H.E Abba K. Yusuf.

“You will recall that prior to the reinstatement of deposed Muhammad Sanusi ii as Emir of Kano, a Federal High Court granted an order restraining the Governor of Kano state and every other party concerned from reinstating Mohammed Sanusi ii as Emir of Kano, but the executive governor of the state, H.E Abba k. Yusuf, in breach of the court order went ahead to reinstate Mohammed Sanusi ii as Emir of Kano state.

“We know that the judiciary is conservative and therefore look up to the bar to speak for it. As an organization of young lawyers who are irrevocably dedicated to an independent and free judiciary whose injunctions, judgements and orders must be enforced and obeyed, we are perturbed that a sitting governor who swore to protect our laws and constitution will flagrantly disregard a valid court order and engage in illegal actions that are capable of desecrating the hallowed temple of justice.

“We will not allow this to happen unchallenged. The age-long principle of constitutionalism is very clear that no man is above the law. The governor of Kano state, irrespective of how highly placed, is not an exception.”