Headlines
Appeal Court sets aside order nullifying Sanusi’s appointment as Emir of Kano
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Court of Appeal in Kano has set aside the June 20 order by Justice Abubakar Liman of the Federal High Court, Kano, nullifying the steps/actions taken by the Kano State Government pursuant to the Kano State Emirate Council (Repeal) Law 2024, including the appointment of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as the 16th Emir of Kano.
KANO FOCUS reports that a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, Kano, which sat in Abuja, held that the order nullifying the steps taken by the Kano State Government pursuant to the 2024 Emirates Council Law was made by Justice Liman without jurisdiction.
The appellate court found that the fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by an aggrieved king maker – Alhaji Aminu Babba Dan Agundi – on which basis Justice Liman issued the June 20 order, was not only invalid, the Federal High Court lacked the jurisdiction to hear it
The judgment was on an appeal by the Kano State House of Assembly and it’s Speaker marked: CA/KN/140/2024 against Agundi and others.
The appeal was against the the June 20 ruling by Justice Liman, nullifying every step taken by the state government and other respondents pursuant to the new law.
The Kano State House of Assembly enacted the Kano State Emirate Council (Repeal) Law 2024 on May 23 last year, which the state governor assented to on the same date. The law repealed the Kano State Emirates Council Law (2019).
Pursuant to the new law, the Kano State Government among others, sacked Aminu Ado Bayero as Kano Emir, reinstated Sanusi as Emir and reversed the creation of five new Emirates by the preceding administration of Umar Ganduje.
Aggrieved by the law, Agundi filed his fundamental rights enforcement suit on th same May 23, 2024, following which Justice Liman issued an order, directing parties to maintain status quo pending the determination of the suit ante the passage of the new Emirates Council law.
In his June 20 ruling, Justice Liman voided all the steps taken by the Kano State Government pursuant to the 2024 Emirate Council Law on the grounds that they were taken in violation of his earlier order made on May 23, 2024 directing parties, in Agundi’s fundamental rights suit, to maintain status quo ante.
In the lead judgment of the Court of Appeal, Justice Gabriel Kolawole, held the foundation upon which Justice Liman based
the June 20 annulment order was based on the wrong assumption that the Federal High Court has jurisdiction to hear the substantive suit, which it actually did not have.
Justice Kolawole noted that matters concerning the validity of state laws and the regulation of traditional/chieftaincy institutions, which Agundi’s case was all about, do not fall within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, rather they fall squarely within the jurisdiction of state High Court.
He added: “Having held that the Federal High Court lacked the jurisdiction, it necessary follows that any order made by the trial court including the annulment of the steps and actions taken by the appellants and others on grounds of disobedience of the order of the lower court has become null and void.
“A court that lacks the jurisdiction to entertain a substantive matter also lacks the competence to make any order or grant any relief in respect of that matter.
“The annulment order made by the trial court, which is the subject of this appeal, is not sustainable because the said order was made by a court that lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the substantive suit.
“In view of the above, the order made by the Federal High Court, Kano judicial division by Justice A. M. Liman (now JCA) in suit number: FHC/KN/182/2024, which order was handed down on the 20th of June 2024 nullifying all step’s and actions taken by the appellants and others in pursuant of the Kano State Emirates Council (Repeal) Law 2024 is hereby nullified and accordingly, set aside,” Justice Kolawole said.
Justices Mohammed Mustapha and Abdu Dogo, who were also on the panel agreed with Justice Kolawole’s findings and some orders made, but disagreed with him on his order that the suit by Agundi, marked: FHC/KN/182/2024 be remitted back to the Chief Judge of the HIgh Court of Kano State to be heard on its merit.
Justices Mustapha and Dogo were of the view that remitting the case to the High Court of Kano for hearing was a waste of judicial time because the case itself was not initiated by due process of law in that it did not relates to any fundamental rights guaranteed under Chapter 4 of the Constitution or the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights.
In an earlier judgment, Justice Kolawole faulted the June 13 ruling by Justice Liman in which he (Liman) held that his court has the jurisdiction to hear the fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Agundi.
The appeal, marked: CA/KN/126/2924 was also filed by the Kano House of Assembly and the Speaker against the June 13, 2024 ruling by Justice Liman, assuming jurisdiction over Agundi’s suit.
Justice Kolawole noted that the reason given by the trial court to assume jurisdiction was fundamentally flawed.
He found that the claims brought before the trial court relate to chieftaincy issue and not the interpretation of the Kano Emirate laws, issues fall within the jurisdictional competence of the High Court of Kano State.
The judge said the Federal High Court could only examine the legitimacy of any law enacted by a State House of Assembly on grounds of constitutional inconsistency, that it is not consistent with the Constitution, which is the grund norm.
Justice Kolawole awarded a cost of N500,000 in favour of the appellants and against Agundi.
Justices Mustapha and Dogo agreed with the lead judgment, but also disagreed with Justice Kolawole’s order that the suit by Agundi, marked: FHC/KN/182/2024 be remitted back to the Chief Judge of the HIgh Court of Kano State to be heard on its merit.
They instead, issued an order striking out the suit.
In the judgment on the appeals by Aminu Ado Bayero, marked: CA/KN/200/2024 and CA/KN/200A/2024, the Court of Appeal found that the High Court of Kano State denied Bayero fair hearing in its hearing and determination of a case filed by the state government to enforce the new law.
In the lead judgment, Justice Mustapha held that the trial court did not only fail to issue hearing notice to the appellant (Bayero) after the withdrawal of his lawyer, it proceeded to strike out the court documents files by the appellant “on the nebulous grounds that they had been abandoned.
He proceeded to hold that the proceedings conducted on July 4, 2024 by Justice Amina Adamu Aliyu of the High Court of Kano State and the judgment delivered of the July 15 are a nullity for having breached the appellant’s right to fair hearing.
Justice Mustapha ordered that the case in respect of which the appeals were filed should be remitted back to the Chief Judge of the High Court of Kano State to be heard by another judge.
Headlines
Abdulaziz unveils project inspection initiative, trains APC social media inflluencers at Arewa media summit
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Media and Public Enlightenment, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, has unveiled a regional project inspection initiative aimed at showcasing key development projects in Northern Nigeria, while urging journalists and social media influencers to uphold ethical communication and combat misinformation.
Speaking on Monday at the maiden Arewa Media Summit in Kano, organised by his office, Abdulaziz said the gathering was conceived to strengthen dialogue between government, citizens and the media through accountability, responsibility and ethical communication.
He said effective governance depends on transparency, responsible civic engagement and a professional media that serves as a bridge between leaders and the people through factual and balanced reporting.
The presidential aide also cautioned social media influencers, who command large online audiences, to verify information before publication and avoid content capable of creating division, particularly as the country approaches the 2027 general elections.
According to him, more than 100 All Progressives Congress (APC) social media communicators were trained ahead of the summit to enhance their capacity to communicate government policies, programmes and achievements effectively.
Abdulaziz also unveiled the Gani Ya Kori initiative, a regional project inspection tour designed to spotlight landmark projects executed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Northern state governors that have received limited public attention.
“The initiative will help ensure that citizens are adequately informed about development projects and government interventions across the region,” he said.
The summit also featured a keynote address by the Minister of Information and National Reorientation, Mohammed Idris, who urged journalists and social media influencers to deny bandits and terrorists the publicity they seek.
“The media has an indispensable role in denying violent extremists the publicity they seek while promoting unity, resilience and hope,” the minister said.
He stressed that democracy flourishes when government remains transparent, citizens participate responsibly and the media performs its constitutional role with professionalism, fairness and integrity.
Idris observed that while the digital revolution has transformed communication by making every smartphone a broadcasting platform, it has also accelerated the spread of fake news and disinformation capable of undermining national unity and public confidence.
Declaring the summit open, Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf called on other states to emulate Kano’s Special Reporters Initiative, through which more than 150 young people have been deployed to ministries, departments, agencies and the state’s 44 local government areas to strengthen government communication and public enlightenment.
KANO FOCUS reports that the summit attracted journalists, broadcasters, filmmakers, digital content creators, academics, policymakers and communication professionals from across Northern Nigeria to deliberate on the theme, “Government, Citizens: Accountability, Responsibility and Ethical Media Practice.”
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Kano State Government says it has executed 1,508 development projects worth more than N928 billion across the state’s 44 local government areas since Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf assumed office, with about 80 per cent of constituency projects awarded between 2023 and 2025 already completed.
KANO FOCUS reports that the Commissioner for Public Procurement, Projects Monitoring and Evaluation, Comrade Nura Iro Ma’aji Sumaila, disclosed this during an international press briefing on the administration’s infrastructure development programme.
According to Comrade Sumaila, the projects cover critical sectors including roads, urban renewal, education, healthcare, security and other social infrastructure.
He said 799 of the projects have been completed, while 709 are at various stages of execution. He added that the state is also implementing 619 constituency projects through members of the Kano State House of Assembly.
The commissioner noted that about 80 per cent of the constituency projects have been completed. However, he said some projects remain unfinished because of rising construction costs caused by inflation.
He said the government has submitted a request to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for an upward review of contract sums to enable contractors complete the affected projects.
Breakdown of projects
Comrade Sumaila said the administration spent over N169 billion on urban renewal projects, including road rehabilitation, drainage construction and other metropolitan infrastructure.
He said another N118 billion was committed to constructing five-kilometre roads in 38 local government areas to improve connectivity across the state.
According to him, the government also awarded contracts worth over N6.8 billion for the construction of Kano State Neighbourhood Watch security divisions in 36 local government areas.
He added that rural infrastructure projects covering education, healthcare and other social interventions across the 44 local government areas account for contracts valued at more than N397 billion, while other ongoing projects have a combined value of about N255 billion.
Commitment to transparency
The commissioner said the Ministry of Public Procurement, Projects Monitoring and Evaluation would continue to ensure compliance with due process and technical standards in the execution of government projects.
He said the ministry’s mandate includes monitoring projects to ensure value for money and prudent utilisation of public resources.
According to him, the administration’s investments in infrastructure are intended to improve mobility, strengthen security, expand access to education and healthcare, improve water supply and stimulate economic growth across the state.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Kano State has emerged as the highest-ranked sub-national government in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for education spending, according to the latest Sub-National Education Spending Index developed by the University of Paris.
KANO FOCUS reports that the ranking places Kano State first among 209 first-level sub-national governments across 15 ECOWAS member countries, underscoring the state’s growing reputation for prioritising investment in education.
According to the published index, Kano topped the rankings with an overall S-WAESI score of 87.21, outperforming other leading regions, including Dakar and Saint-Louis in Senegal. Lagos State was the second Nigerian state on the list, ranking 16th overall.
The assessment evaluated states and regions using the S-WAESI (Sub-National Weighted Aggregate Education Spending Index) methodology, which measures government commitment to education through indicators such as actual education expenditure, spending per student, budget execution, education priority, transparency and evidence-based reporting.
The methodology assigns 35 points to actual education spending, 25 points to spending per student, 20 points to budget execution, 10 points to education priority and 10 points to transparency.
The report indicated that Kano excelled largely due to its strong actual education spending and budget execution, making it the best-performing sub-national government in the region.
The ranking covered states, regions, districts and municipalities across Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Togo, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Cabo Verde.
Kano State Accountability Forum on Education (K-SAFE) said the recognition reflects Kano State Government’s sustained investment in expanding access to education, improving school infrastructure and strengthening educational planning and budget implementation.
KANO FOCUS reports that the achievement is expected to further boost the state’s profile as a leader in education reform within West Africa and provide additional momentum for ongoing efforts to improve learning outcomes across the state.
The latest ranking comes amid renewed attention on education financing across ECOWAS, with experts increasingly emphasising transparent budgeting, efficient resource utilisation and sustained public investment as critical drivers of quality education.
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Gov. Yusuf tasks media on truthful reporting, patriotism
Kano launches free 48-hour emergency treatment scheme for accident victims, other critical cases
K-SAFE hails Gov. Yusuf as Kano tops ECOWAS education spending ranking
Abdulaziz unveils project inspection initiative, trains APC social media inflluencers at Arewa media summit
Kano ranks best in ECOWAS on education spending index
Kano recruits over 16,000 teachers, begins 10-year education reform plan
Kano emerges top beneficiary as World Bank rewards states with $27m for reforms
Kano delegation participates in international labour conference in Geneva
