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Kano Gov Declares Dethroned Emir Bayero a Orivate Citizen
Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State on Wednesday declared that the deposed Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, is a private citizen like others.
Governor Yusuf disclosed this through his Chief Press Secretary, Sanusi Bature.
Bature said the rulings of the Kano State High Court affirm the State Assembly’s law that repealed the 2019 Kano Emirate law, thereby making Ado Bayero a private citizen.
In May, Governor Yusuf had dethroned Aminu Bayero while reinstating Muhammad Sanusi as the 15th Emir of Kano.
The governor’s decision followed the enactment of the 2024 Kano Emirate law by the Kano State House of Assembly, which repealed the 2019 law.
However, speaking on Arise TV’s Morning Show, Bature said the rulings of the court affirm Sanusi as the Emir of Kano pending decisions by other courts.
According to Bature: “The decision of the Kano State Assembly has been reaffirmed by the court. Ado Bayero is now a normal citizen, and whatever happened is based on the repealed 2024 law which invalidated the 2019 Emirate laws that divided the Kano Emirate into five.
“Even if the Emir was not reinstated, the State Assembly, under its constitutional responsibility, decided to repeal the law, which is valid. Automatically, we have reverted to the pre-2019 circumstances where Emir Sanusi was the sole Emir of a united Kano State.
“Based on the court’s decision that actions taken under the repealed law were brought to the governor by the Speaker of the State Assembly, and he assented and announced the reinstatement of Emir Sanusi. This occurred at 5:10 PM on May 23, 2024.
“For this reason, we have filed an interlocutory appeal which the judge granted. By this context, Emir Sanusi remains in the palace and continues to discharge all the responsibilities of an Emir of one united Kano while we wait for outcomes in other courts.
“By virtue of the High Court declaring the law as valid, it confirms the deposition of former Emir Ado Bayero, and he remains a private citizen like every other resident of Kano. He should not be seen occupying any government property. That government property is defective; it’s a mud house where he has forcefully stayed for over a month now.”
DailyPost
The Supreme Court has vacated the order of the Court of Appeal which barred the recognition of David Mark as the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, ADC.
The apex court on Thursday held that the preservative order by the Court of Appeal was in bad faith, unnecessary, unwarranted and improper.
In a unanimous judgment of the Supreme Court, Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba held that the Court of Appeal ought not to have made such order because it was not sought by any of the parties in the matter.
The Court of Appeal had issued an order of status quo antem bellum upon which the ADC exco under David Mark was de-recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
With the vacation of the order, David Mark and the other national officers are to be recognized as ADC leaders by the electoral body.
The convention produced the Tanimu Turaki-led factional national executives of the party.
Attention has shifted to the Supreme Court, which has fixed April 30 (today) for judgment in the leadership tussle within the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
A five-member panel led by Justice Mohammed Garba will resolve the appeal filed by the David Mark-led faction concerning the authentic leadership of the party.
Also on Thursday, the court is expected to determine the leadership dispute rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Two PDP factions—one led by Kabir Turaki and the other by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike—are laying claim to the leadership of the party.
The Supreme Court had on April 22 reserved judgment in the ADC crisis to a date to be communicated to the parties involved in the tussle.
However, on Tuesday, the ADC formally wrote to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, pleading for the quick delivery of judgment in the leadership tussle at the national level.
The party claimed it would suffer irreparable harm if judgment in the protracted battle was not delivered within the period allowed by the Electoral Act for fielding candidates for the 2027 general elections.
It stated in part: “Without the delivery of judgment within the next three days from the date of this letter, the ADC stands the grave and irreversible risk of being excluded from participating in the 2027 general elections.
“This would disenfranchise millions of Nigerians who have subscribed to the ideals of the ADC and deny them their constitutional right to freely associate and contest elections through a political party of their choice.”
At the April 22 hearing, Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, who represented David Mark, urged the Supreme Court to allow the appeal, arguing that the apex court had earlier, on March 21, 2025, held that “no court has jurisdiction to entertain matters bordering on the internal affairs of political parties.”
During the hearing, Okutepa urged the apex court to hold that the Federal High Court in Abuja lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit.
However, Robert Emukperu, SAN, who represented the first respondent, Nafiu Gombe, urged the court to dismiss the appeal and affirm the judgment of the lower court, which held that the suit was premature.
It will be recalled that a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal dismissed Mark’s appeal, ruling that it was premature and filed without leave of the trial court.
In the PDP matter, the first appeal, marked SC/CV/164/2026, stems from a decision of Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, who restrained the party from proceeding with its planned convention pending the determination of a suit filed by former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido.
On November 14, the court issued a final order restraining the PDP from conducting its national convention.
Justice Lifu held that Lamido was “unjustly denied” the opportunity to obtain a nomination form to contest for national chairman, in violation of the PDP constitution and internal regulations.
The Court of Appeal later upheld the decision on March 9, prompting the PDP to appeal.
The second appeal, SC/CV/166/2026, was filed by the PDP, its National Working Committee (NWC), and National Executive Committee (NEC).
It arose from a judgment delivered by Justice James Omotosho, which stopped the party from holding its Ibadan national convention.
The Court of Appeal upheld that decision, agreeing that INEC should not validate the outcome of the convention.
After hearing all arguments, the Supreme Court reserved judgment, stating that the date would be communicated to the parties.
