The Governor of Kano
State, Abdullahi Ganduje, is requesting from the state’s House of Assembly, an
amendment to the state’s emirate law 2019 to include two emirate officials
earlier sacked by two former emirs.
The speaker, Kano House of Assembly, Abdul’aziz Gafasa,
during plenary last Wednesday, announced Mr Ganduje’s request. The lawmakers
are expected to deliberate and decide on the request, possibly before the end
of July 2020.
The sacked officials are Aminu Babba-Danagundi ‘Sarkin
Dawaki Maituta’ and Sanusi Ado-Bayero ‘Chiroman Kano’. Both men were dismissed
by late emir Ado Bayero and dethroned emir Muhammadu Sanusi, respectively, for
alleged insubordination.
Mr Babba-Danagundi challenged his removal by late Mr Bayero
in court. However, 17 years after, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the
late emir, upholding the emirate’s resolution.
Following the reappointment of Mr Babba-Danagundi as ‘Sarkin
Dawaki Babba’ by the current Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado-Bayero, Mr Ganduje
specifically requested the state’s assembly to amend the emirate law 2019 to
include the officials as Kano kingmakers. The junior Ado-Bayero, deposed by
Emir Sanusi, is now the new ‘Wamban Kano’, also a kingmaker, if the assembly
formally agrees to Mr Ganduje’s request.
How the officials were sacked
In 2003, the then emir, Ado Bayero, dismissed Mr
Babba-Dan’agundi as District Head of Gabasawa and ‘Sarkin Dawaki Maituta’,
following alleged insubordination and political interference.
The dismissed traditional leader, Mr Babba-Danagundi,
allegedly declined to honour an invitation to appear before a committee set up
by late Mr Bayero, to investigate his excesses.
Mr Babba-Danagundi challenged his removal at the state’s
high court where the court ordered for his reinstatement. The Kano emirate
appealed the judgement. However, the appeal court also ruled in favour of the
dismissed emirate official.
The Kano Emirate Council, under deposed Mr Sanusi, again,
appealed the ruling of the lower courts to the Supreme Court, where the apex
court ruled against Mr Babba-Danagundi.
On June 5, the Supreme Court affirmed late Emir Bayero’s
decision for dismissing Mr Babba-Dan’agundi as District Head of Gabasawa and as
‘Sarkin Dawaki Maituta’.
The apex court’s judgment was delivered six years after Mr
Bayero’s death and seventeen years after the dismissal of the embattled Mr
Babba-Danagundi.
Other dismissed official
The former ‘Chiroman Kano’, Sanusi Ado-Bayero, was also
stripped of his traditional title following his alleged refusal to accept and
pay homage to the then newly crowned emir Muhammadu Sanusi.
The Emir, Mr Sanusi, following his appointment in June 2014,
sacked the ‘Chiroman Kano’, the junior Ado-Bayero, for refusing to accept him
as the new emir of Kano.
Mr Ado-Bayero went on self-exile. He was later appointed as
Managing Director, Nigeria Port Authority (NPA) by the former president,
Goodluck Jonathan.
He has now been appointed as the new ‘Wamban Kano’, also a
designated kingmaker. He has since paid homage to his brother, Emir Aminu
Ado-Bayero.
We respect Supreme Court’s verdict – Govt
The state’s Commissioner for Information, Muhammad Garba,
defended Mr Ganduje’s decision for considering Mr Babba-Danagundi as a Kano
kingmaker, despite the Supreme Court’s verdict against the embattled official.
Mr Garba said due to the influence of the traditional title
of ‘Sarkin Dawaki Babba’ that was just created, the government viewed the
imperative of including the officials as Kano kingmakers in the Kano’s emirate
council.
The official said contrary to the public perception of
disrespect to the Supreme Court’s judgement by recognising Mr Babba-Danagundi
as a kingmaker, the state respects the ruling.
Mr Garba told BBC Hausa that the government decided to
include Mr Babba-Danagundi as a kingmaker through a different title. Before the
court’s judgement, he was the ‘Sarkin Dawaki Maituta’ but now referred to as
‘Sarkin Dawaki Babba,’ the official said.
Concerned parties have warned that political interference
might likely erode the influence of Kano traditional institutions following
controversial appointments, as well as dethronement of Emirs, allegedly being
influenced by political interest.
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