Justice Abdullahi Liman of the Federal High Court in Kano has nullified the reinstatement of Muhammadu Sanusi II as the Emir of Kano Emirate. On Thursday, the judge refused to declare the amended Kano Emirate law invalid but overturned actions taken by Governor Abba Yusuf following the controversial amendment by the Kano State House of Assembly on May 23, 2024.

Justice Liman criticized Governor Yusuf’s approval of the bill and the issuance of an appointment letter to Emir Sanusi on May 24, 2024. This was despite a court order directing all parties to maintain the status quo. The judge cited the governor’s statements in the media as evidence that both the governor and the Kano State House of Assembly were aware of the court’s directive.

According to Justice Liman, the situation could have been avoided if the respondents had complied with the court order, allowing them to proceed with their duties without conflict.

The politics within the Kano Emirate has seen numerous twists over the past decade, reminiscent of a dramatic series. Two royal families, the Bayero and Sanusi families, have long been at odds. In 2014, Muhammadu Sanusi II succeeded Aminu Ado Bayero’s father, Emir Ado Bayero. However, nearly six years later, he was deposed in favor of Aminu Ado Bayero, following a fallout with then-Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.

Four years and a new administration later, Governor Yusuf reappointed Sanusi as the Emir after the state Assembly amended a contentious law dividing the emirate into five. A kingmaker from one of the former emirates, Aminu Babba Danagundi, contested the law’s validity, prompting the court challenge.