Hundreds supporters of the Emir of Kano Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi 11, burst with celebration at the city central Mosque after Appeal Court ruled in his favor.
The Mosque was filled with Worshippers as the Emir led the Friday Jumu’ah prayer, which commenced around 2:18 pm.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has delivered judgments in two separate suits, overturning the decisions of the Federal High Court and the Kano State High Court, both of which were related to the Kano Emirate dispute involving Aminu Bayero.
While the one ordered for retrial for denying fundamental right to fair hearing, the other struck out the case for lack of jurisdiction
The court verdict might have bring to an end, to a long standing legal tussles that threatened to shake the foundations of the Kano Emirate.
The court ruled that the case lacked merit and the issue of jurisdiction raised by Bayero was also dismissed.
In it’s ruling, the Federal Appeal Court in Abuja has dismissed the fundamental human rights case filed by Aminu Ado Bayero, the 15th Emir of Kano, against Mallam Muhammadu Sanusi II, the 16th Emir of the state.
According to the court verdict, Bayero’s claim was primarily about chieftaincy matters, which was beyond the scope of fundamental human rights enforcement procedures.
Additionally, the court decided that the federal high court had no jurisdiction to interfere in matters related to the Kano State Emirate Council law.
Citing Section 251 of the Nigerian Constitution, the court pointed out that the Federal High Court does not have the authority to handle issues related to chieftaincy.
In another verdict, the Court of Appeal in Abuja has ordered a fresh hearing in the legal battle over the disputed Kano Emirate involving Ado Bayero.
A three-member panel led by Justice Mohammed Mustapha held that the judgment delivered by the lower court on July 15 was a nullity, as the appellants’ rights to a fair hearing were breached.
The appellate court held that Bayero was denied a fair hearing due to how a Kano High Court conducted proceedings against him.
The court stated that the Kano High Court was unfair to Bayero by conducting proceedings without serving him a hearing notice to enable him to present his case.
Justice Mustapha held that all courts of law are bound to ensure justice for all parties by giving them equal opportunities, adding that the conduct of the proceedings against Bayero amounted to a travesty of justice.
The Court of Appeal, therefore, ordered that the case be remitted to the Chief Judge of the Kano State High Court to be reassigned to another judge for expeditious determination.
The court while determining one of the issues raised by the appellant, which has to do with a fair hearing, held that the appellant should have been notified and allowed access to counsel after his lawyer withdrew from the matter during proceedings on July 4, 2024, instead, the court continued to hear the matter without proper notification where necessary.
It could be recalled that, the Kano State High Court had earlier issued a restraining order against Bayero and four other former Emirs, preventing them from laying claim to the Emirship title.