Taiwo Popoola
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has revisited its ruling on the reinstatement of Muhammadu Sanusi II as the 16th Emir of Kano, urging all parties involved to maintain restraint as the case moves to the Supreme Court.
During Tuesday’s hearing, a three-member panel led by Justice Biobele Abraham Georgewill acknowledged that the appeal records had been transmitted to the Supreme Court, effectively placing the matter under the apex court’s jurisdiction.
The justices unanimously agreed that this justified the Kano State government’s decision to withdraw its application before the appellate court.
Counsel for the Kano State government, Ibrahim Wangida, informed the court that all legal steps, including the transmission of the appeal record, had been completed. He argued that under judicial precedent, this process serves as a stay of action on the Court of Appeal’s March 14 ruling.
The case stems from a March 10 decision by another appellate panel, led by Justice Okon Abang, which halted the enforcement of the appellate court’s January 10 judgment. That ruling had overturned a Kano State High Court’s nullification of Sanusi II’s appointment, citing lack of jurisdiction and ordering the matter to be returned to the lower court.
With the Supreme Court now set to decide the fate of the embattled emir, the legal battle continues to be a focal point of public and political interest in Kano State.
