Ganduje denies shunning court, says emirs’ appointments were before order

Kano State governor Abdullahi Ganduje Saturday said he did not receive any court order restraining him from appointing emirs to the newly created emirates.

“Letters of the Notification of Appointment were written from the office of the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Usman Alhaji, since Thursday, May 9, 2019 and were despatched to the concerned Emirs the following day Friday, May 10, 2019, in the very early hours of the day,” Ganduje’s media aide Abba Anwar said in a statement.

Ganduje was the subject of public debate for about a week after the governor signed a bill to create four new emirates in the state, thereby reducing the influence of the Emir of Kano Lamido Sanusi Lamido.

A Kano State high court on Friday said the state government should not install new first class emirs in the new emirates- Rano, Karaye, Gaya and Bichi.

Despite the court ruling, Ganduje handed letters of appointment to the new emirs. He, however, he said that he did not shun the court’s ruling as it came after the letters of appointment to the new emirs were dispatched.

He explained that “In accordance with the power conferred on the Governor by the Kano State Emirs (Appointment and Deposition) Amended Law 2019 (1440 AH) which provides the creation of more Emirates.

“In letters dated May 9, 2019, had reference number SSG/REPA/5/A/86/T and were addressed to the newly appointed Emirs.”

In the statement, Ganduje said the court order was reportedly issued around 5pm on Friday May 10, 2019, long after the new emirs had formally accepted the appointment.

He explained that the new Emir of Karaye, Ibrahim Abubakar II, Alhaji Tafida Abubakar II of Rano, Emir of Bichi, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero and the Emir of Gaya, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdulkadir all forwarded their letters of acknowledgments before 1:00 on Friday.

While the creation of the emirates appeared as an attack on Sanusi by Ganduje, the governor said he had no issues with the former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

He, however, said Sanusi had no constitutional role in Kano state, instead the emir should report directly to the chairman of the local government in the town he rules.

The governor said a formal ceremony is expected to hold at the Sani Abacha Indoor Stadium, Kofar Mata, for the new emirs to show appreciation for their appointments.