By Uzair Adam
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has suspended the enforcement of its January 10 judgment, which upheld the Kano State Government’s repeal of the 2019 Emirate Council Law, pending the determination of an appeal at the Supreme Court.
The appellate court, sitting in Abuja, overturned the June 20 order by Justice Abubakar Liman of the Federal High Court in Kano, which had nullified actions taken by the state government under the Kano State Emirate Council (Repeal) Law 2024, including the reappointment of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as the 16th Emir of Kano.
The court ruled that Justice Liman issued the order without jurisdiction. Dissatisfied with the decision, the Kano State Government took the case to the Supreme Court and sought an injunction at the Court of Appeal to halt the execution of the judgment while awaiting the apex court’s ruling.
On Friday, a three-member panel of justices led by Justice Okon Abang ruled on two suits—CA/KN/27M/2025 and CA/KN/28M/2025—filed by Alhaji Aminu Babba Dan’agundi (Sarkin Dawaki Babba).
The suits were brought against the Kano State Government, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, the Inspector General of Police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and other security agencies.
Dan’agundi’s application, filed on February 6, 2025, sought to prevent the respondents from enforcing the appellate court’s judgment while an appeal was pending before the Supreme Court.
He argued that the trial court lacked jurisdiction over the case and emphasized the need to maintain the status quo.
In a unanimous ruling, Justice Abang held that the application was valid and deserving of the court’s discretion in the interest of justice.
He stated that preserving the subject matter of the case was necessary since a valid appeal was already before the Supreme Court.
The court ordered that the status quo be maintained as it was before the Federal High Court’s ruling on June 13, 2024.
It also directed the applicant to file an undertaking within 14 days to indemnify the respondents for damages if the order was later found unnecessary.
With this ruling, the reinstatement of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as Emir of Kano remains on hold, pending the Supreme Court’s final decision on the matter.