The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has officially recognized Muhammadu Sanusi II as the legitimate Emir of Kano.
This endorsement comes alongside support from district heads across Kano’s 44 local government areas, council chairmen, commissioners, and numerous Kano residents and Nigerians.
The NBA underscored this recognition by inviting Emir Sanusi to their ongoing annual conference in Kano, held at the Amani Event Center.
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The conference, which marks the first NBA annual gathering for the entire northern region, features notable attendees including the President of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Benedict Bakwaph Kanyip, NBA President Yakubu Maikyau, SAN, and the Chief Judge of Kano State, Justice Dije Aboki, among other legal luminaries.
Sanusi was invited to the conference to deliver a royal blessing and address the participants, a move that signifies his status as the 16th Emir of Kano.
In contrast, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, who was dethroned under the new Kano Chieftaincy (Repealed) Law 2024, was not invited.
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Grassroots Parrot reported that the legal case regarding Bayero’s dethronement was scheduled for a federal high court hearing on May 3, 2024, but was stalled due to a nationwide strike by organized labor unions.
Speaking through his representative, Mahe Bashir Wali (the Walin Kano), Emir Sanusi welcomed the conference participants and highlighted Kano’s rich history as a cultural and commercial hub.
He emphasized that the conference’s theme, “Administration of Justice in Nigeria: Challenges and Reforms,” was pertinent, noting that justice is essential for peace, progress, and development.
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Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Abdullahi Bappa Bichi, addressed the legal professionals, challenging them on the conflicting court orders related to the Kano emirate dispute, which he argued is a state matter.
He urged lawyers to advise their clients truthfully, even if the truth is unpalatable, rather than pursuing cases outside the law’s ambit.
The governor called for upholding the rule of law and comprehensive judicial reforms to tackle the challenges facing Nigeria’s justice administration.
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Barrister O.M. Femi, speaking to journalists, remarked that the NBA’s recognition of Sanusi as the Emir of Kano is evident.
He noted that the court’s eventual ruling on the emirate tussle would set a precedent for legal practitioners and ensure that none of the parties involved remain aggrieved.
“However, you don’t need to be told or to wear binoculars to see that His Royal Majesty Muhammadu Sanusi II is the current Emir of Kano,” Femi said. “Nothing explains this fact more than what could be deduced from the ongoing NBA’s annual conference attended by Muhammadu Sanusi II by proxy. The recognition accorded him by the legal practitioners of our land tells it all.”
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The NBA’s support for Sanusi underscores the ongoing legal and political complexities surrounding the Kano emirate throne and highlights the significant role of judicial interpretation and recognition in resolving traditional leadership disputes.
