Kano assembly announces dissolves of four new emirates created by Ganduje

The Kano State House of Assembly has dissolved the four newly created emirate councils established under the administration of former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje. This decision followed deliberations during a plenary session on Thursday.

The dissolution was formalized with the passing of the Kano State Emirates Council Amendment Bill, which scaled its second and third readings on the same day. Deputy Speaker Muhammad Butu explained that the repeal of the law, which divided the Kano Emirate into five parts, aimed to restore the state’s lost glory and its standing at the national level.

“The division of Kano Emirate into five diminished the capacity and dignity of the state,” Butu said.

Supporting the motion, Majority Leader Alhaji Lawan Dala emphasized that the emirate council serves as a custodian of culture, a role he claimed was distorted by the creation of the additional emirates.

As a result of the amendment, the four new emirate councils have been abolished, leaving only the original Kano Emirate intact. Additionally, the House adopted a motion to create a new second-class emirate council in the state.

It was earlier reported that the House was seeking to amend the Kano State Emirs (Appointment and Deposition) Law. The amendment could potentially pave the way for the return of the deposed Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II.

Former Governor Ganduje’s decision to split the Kano Emirate and dethrone Emir Sanusi in 2019 was a controversial move that has continued to stir political and cultural debates. Ganduje’s actions were perceived by many as politically motivated and aimed at weakening the influence of Sanusi.

Following the electoral victory of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) in 2023, led by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, the issue of the Kano emirates was slated for review. Senator Rabi’u Kwankwaso, a key figure in the NNPP and leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement, had previously indicated that the new administration would revisit the matter.

“Honestly, the issue of Kano Emirates is one of the things that nobody has sat with me to discuss so far, but I am sure we are going to sit and see how to go about it,” Kwankwaso stated in January 2024. “It will be revisited, and what’s supposed to be done will be done.”

Kwankwaso suggested that the division and subsequent actions taken by Ganduje were not done in good faith, hinting at underlying political motives.