The Kano State House of Assembly in North West Nigeria has dissolved the five newly created Emirates councils created by the former Governor of the state Abdullahi Ganduje.
The House at a special session on Thursday presided over by the speaker Jibril Falgore, repealed the Kano state Emirate Council law 2019 and 2023 and passed Kano emirates council law (repeal bill) 2024 after scaling 3rd reading.
The law has abrogated establishment of five Emirates in the state.
The law mentioned that, all offices established under the repealed law have been set aside by the new bill.
Also, all district heads elevated or appointed under the repealed law are to revert to their previous positions.
The Kano State Emirates Council (Amendment number 2) Law, 2024, was sponsored by the Majority Leader and member representing the Dala Constituency, Lawan Hussaini.
Speaking to journalists, after the session, the majority leader explained that with the amendment of the law all the five emirate councils were abolished.
He said, “this bill in it’s entirety, has abrogated the established newly created five Emirates in the state and revert back to the old and former status of one single Emir in Kano which we inherited since the Jihad of Usman Danfodio. That’s what the bill is all about.”
He noted that, the Five Emirs are now no longer in existence adding that, “there is now to Emir in Kano, no Emir of Gaya, no Emir of Rano, no Emir of Karaye, and that of Bichi.”
The Kano Majority leader said the bill has empowers Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to summon the king makers of Kano to forward a Nominee of a new king.
“We are now waiting for the Governor to assent the bill and then invite the king makers to give him a new king.”
Husseini described the creation of the new Emirates as a division among the people of Kano.
“The creation of these new Emirates has done nothing but division among the indigenes of Kano. It only divides the people, the unity which existed thousands of years in Kano were divided. Kano was one and portions were created into sub-divisions.”
Husseini said, the house also adopted a motion to create new second class emirate council in the state.
He said, “there was a plan to create additional second class Emirs after this.”
The Minority whip Ayuba Labaran led other members from the All Progressives Congress APC and staged a walkout during the proceedings citing unfair treatment describing the bill as improper.
One of the members, Salisu Ibrahim Mohammed representing Doguwa Constituency while speaking in an interview said, “our position is that, the sitting started at an inappropriate time and our member want to talk when bill was mentioned and he was interrupted after being a floor.”
“We felt that this issue be subjected to public hearing to hear what people want. We believe what happened earlier has brought development to the rural areas. We are consulting on what to do next.”
He called on the people of Kano state to remain calm as efforts are on to resolve the matter and the law which created five new Emirates was first assented to by the immediate past Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, on December 5, 2019.
The governor assented to an amendment to the law on 14 October, 2020 and signed another amendment on 11 April, 2023.
Section 3(1) of the law established five distinct emirates, Kano, Bichi, Rano, Gaya and Karaye, with Kano and Karaye having eight local government areas of jurisdiction each, while Bichi and Gaya emirates share 9 local government areas of jurisdiction each, Rano Emirate enjoys jurisdiction of over 10 local government areas out of the 44 local councils in the state.
When Emir Muhammadu Sanusi, who chaired the council, was deposed on March 9, 2020, the law was amended to read: “There shall be the chairman of the council who shall be the emir, Kano Emirate”.
Section 12 provides that, the governor may grade the office of an Emir first, second, or third class subject to the approval of the House of Assembly.
Lateefah Ibrahim
