The Kano State House of Assembly has adopted a motion to recall the Kano State Emirate Councils Amendment Bill, following deliberations during a plenary session on Tuesday presided over by Speaker Alhaji Isma’il Falgore.
The motion, brought as a matter of urgent public importance by Majority Leader Alhaji Lawan Dala, called on the House to support the recall in order to progress the state. It was seconded by Shu’aibu Rabi’u, representing Dawakin Tofa.
In 2019, under the administration of former governor Abdullahi Ganduje, the Assembly approved the creation of four additional emirate councils, elevating the number of first-class Emirs in Kano State to five. In September 2020, the House passed an amendment bill establishing the Emir of Kano as the permanent Chairman of the Council of Chiefs, thereby ending the rotation system.
However, Rabiu Kwankwaso, the leader of the ruling New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in Kano, had pledged to revisit the emirate law. Earlier this year, a local group, Yan Dangwalen Jihar Kano, petitioned the Assembly to review the legislation that created the new emirates and to reinstate the former Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II.
In a letter dated February 5, 2024, and addressed to the Speaker, the group argued that dissolving the additional emirates and reinstating Sanusi would foster unity, peace, and stability within Kano State and its neighbouring communities. The letter, signed by group chairman Najib Salati, was also copied to the Kano State Governor, Deputy Governor, and Secretary to the State Government.
“The dissolution of the emirates and reinstatement of Sanusi as the Emir of Kano will foster unity, peace, and stability within Kano State and its neighbouring communities,” the letter stated. “We write to plead and also draw the attention of the honourable members to the law that governs the additional emirs in Kano State. Specifically, we request a review and potential dissolution of the additional emirs and the section that led to the creation of the four additional emirates.”
The group believes that consolidating the emirates into a single entity will lead to greater unity and progress for Kano’s citizens, streamlining governance and promoting a more cohesive community. They urged the Assembly to reconsider the decision to remove Sanusi from his throne, emphasizing that his reinstatement would enhance the stability and unity of the state.
As the debate continues, the Kano State House of Assembly’s decision on the Emirate Councils Amendment Bill remains a crucial issue for the future of the state’s traditional leadership and governance.
