The Governor Abba Yusuf-led Kano State government announced on Wednesday that Aminu Ado Bayero, the deposed Emir of Kano, is now considered a “private citizen.”
According to a statement from his Chief Press Secretary, Sanusi Bature, the government’s declaration followed rulings from the Kano State High Court upholding the State Assembly’s repeal of the 2019 Kano Emirate law, which effectively stripped Bayero of his royal status.
Earlier in May, Governor Yusuf had removed Aminu Bayero from the emirship while reinstating Muhammad Sanusi as the 15th Emir of Kano.
The decision came after the enactment of the 2024 Kano Emirate law by the State House of Assembly, which nullified the previous 2019 law that had divided the Kano Emirate.
Sanusi Bature clarified during an interview on Arise TV’s Morning Show that the court’s rulings reaffirmed Sanusi as the rightful Emir of Kano, pending further legal proceedings.
He emphasised, “The State Assembly’s decision to repeal the law stands, rendering Ado Bayero a regular citizen. The events stem from the repealed 2024 law, which invalidated the 2019 Emirate laws dividing Kano into five.”
Bature continued, stating, “Even without reinstatement, the Assembly’s constitutional duty was to repeal the law, effectively restoring the pre-2019 status where Emir Sanusi led a unified Kano State. The court validated actions taken under the repealed law, prompting the Governor, upon advice from the Speaker, to announce Emir Sanusi’s reinstatement on May 23, 2024.”
He added, “Pending further legal outcomes, Emir Sanusi remains in the palace, fulfilling his duties. The High Court’s affirmation of the law confirms the deposition of former Emir Ado Bayero, now a private citizen in Kano, prohibited from occupying state-owned premises.”
Governor Yusuf’s administration has filed an interlocutory appeal, seeking further legal clarity as the situation unfolds in various courts regarding the Kano Emirate’s leadership.
