As the dispute over the Kano emirate throne persists, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has extended an invitation to Muhammadu Sanusi II, the 16th Fulani Emir of Kano, seemingly recognizing him as the legitimate Emir.
This move follows widespread support from district heads across Kano’s 44 local government areas, council chairmen, commissioners, as well as the general populace and Nigerians at large, who view Sanusi as the rightful occupant of the throne. The NBA’s gesture of acknowledgment took the form of an invitation to Emir Sanusi to participate in their ongoing annual conference in Kano.
Held at the Amani Event Centre in Kano, the NBA Annual Conference boasted distinguished attendees including the President of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Benedict Bakwaph Kanyip, NBA President Yakubu Maikyau SAN, Chief Judge of Kano State Justice Dije Aboki, and other legal luminaries. This conference marked the NBA’s first annual gathering for the entire northern region.
Given the event’s significance, the NBA formally invited Emir Sanusi not only to attend but also to impart his royal blessings and address the participants. Notably, the NBA chose not to extend an invitation to Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, acknowledging the 15th Emir’s dethronement under the new Kano chieftaincy (repealed) law 2024.
The federal high court was scheduled to hear the case yesterday, but proceedings were halted due to organized labor unions’ strike action. Speaking on behalf of Emir Sanusi at the NBA conference, Mahe Bashir Wali (the Walin Kano) conveyed warm greetings and emphasized Kano’s rich cultural and commercial heritage as a pivotal hub in the northern region.
Emir Sanusi underscored the conference’s theme, ‘Administration of Justice in Nigeria: Challenges and Reforms,’ stressing the crucial link between justice, peace, and societal progress and development.
For State Governor Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf, the conference provided an opportunity to address NBA members on the conflicting court orders surrounding the Kano emirate dispute, asserting that the matter falls solely within the state’s jurisdiction.
The governor, represented at the conference by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Abdullahi Bappa Bichi, told the legal practitioners to always tell their clients the truth when they bring a bad case, even when the truth is bitter, rather than insisting on satisfying their clients by carrying out what is not within the ambit of the law.
To overcome the challenges confronting the administration of justice in Nigeria, the Governor said we must uphold the rule of law and make comprehensive judicial reforms.
Speaking to journalists on the emirate tussle, Barr O.M Femi said the NBA is not unaware of what is happening, “but it is good that the court is to decide, so that none of the parties involved will be aggrieved again. The ruling will set a precedence for lawyers and judges on such matters.
“However, you don’t need to be told or wear binoculars to see that His Royal Majesty Muhammadu Sanusi II is the current Emir of Kano. 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,” he said.
Dije Aboki Kano Chief Justice, SSG To Kano, Abdullahi Baffa Bichi, NBA President Maikyau, and Mahe Bashir Wali The Walin Kano Representing Emir Muhammadu Sanusi ii at the ongoing NBA Conference holding in Kano.
