Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna, has commended the ruling of the court of appeal in Abuja that barred the federal high court in Kano from adjudicating over the Kano emirate legal battle.
In June 2023, the high court nullified all actions by the Kano state government repealing the Kano Emirates Council Law of 2019.
Before then, the Kano house of assembly had passed an amended bill to repeal the 2019 version, which divided the Kano emirate into five jurisdictions and was relied upon to dethrone Muhammadu Sanusi II as emir in 2020.
However, the high court ordered the parties involved in the suit to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the case.
But on Friday, the appellate court ruled that the high court lacked jurisdiction to handle the case, as it pertained to chieftaincy matters rather than the violation of fundamental human rights, as claimed by the plaintiffs.
Reacting to the development, El-Rufai said the judge involved in the case at the high court should be disciplined by the National Judiciary Council (NJC).
He congratulated Muhammadu Sanusi II, the embattled Emir of Kano, over the recent court ruling.
El-Rufai wrote on X , “KANO UPDATE: Congratulations to my dear friend and brother, His Highness, Emir Muhammad Sanusi II, for this judgment.”
“The federal high court has no business dabbling into chieftaincy matters outside of the FCT, and the erring judge ought to be disciplined by the NJC for the intentionally erroneous and disgraceful judgment.”
