Kano Assembly removes all five emirs as Sanusi Lamido prepares for a return

Kano State House of Assembly on Thursday dissolved all five emirate councils in the State while declaring that Governor Abba Yusuf has the sole constitutional powers to appoint new emir(s).

The Assembly, while deciding on the floor of the House during plenary, considered the State Emirate Council amendment bill after scaling the second and third reading on Thursday.

Deputy Speaker Alhaji Muhammad Bello Butu explained that repealing the law would revive the lost glory of Kano as the division of Kano emirate to five reduced the capacity and dignity of the State at the national level.

Majority Leader Alhaji Lawan Hussaini Dala said the emirate council had served as a custodian of culture before; according to him, it was distorted by the creation of additional emirates, adding that with the amendment of the law, all the five emirate councils were abolished while the commissioner for local governments would serve as the overseer.

“This bill in its entity has abrogated the establishment of 5 new Emirates in the state and reverted to the former status of a single emir in Kano which we inherited since the Jihad of Shehu Usman Dan Fodio. That’s what the Bill is now all about, and there was a plan to create an additional second-class Emir after this.”

“This means that the remaining 5 emirs are no longer in existence. There is no Emir now in Kano. It is now the decision of the governor to appoint a new emir. The Bill has empowered the governor to invite the kingmakers to nominate a new king. So we are now waiting for the governor to ascent to the Bill if he wishes and invite the kingmakers to give him a new king.

“The abolished emirate did nothing but create division among the indigence of kano. The unity which was visible thousands of years in Kano was divided. We are now reverting back to our old historical background: one Kano, one people, one Emir.

“We expect cooperation from the people of Kano. This is a welcome development. Kano is now United. That is what we are hoping that the people of Kano would cooperate. We need their maximum cooperation and prayer towards the peace and development of our great state,” he said.

The lawmaker had sponsored the motion to repeal the law, which ex-Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje assented to on December 5, 2019, and created four additional emirates afterwards.

Ganduje later dethroned Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi, the 14th Emir of Kano.

The Assembly, however, adopted a motion to create a new second-class emirate council in the state.