A group of lawyers from Northern Nigeria, known as the Northern Lawyers’ Forum, has issued a strong warning to Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State to reverse his decision to reinstate Emir Muhammad Sanusi II within 48 hours.
During a press conference held in Abuja on Tuesday, the forum, led by its Director General Barr. Umar Sadiq Abubakar, argued that the reinstatement of Emir Sanusi is “unconstitutional” and contradicts the traditions and customs of the Kano Emirate.
Abubakar asserted that Emir Sanusi’s initial removal was conducted in accordance with the laws and traditions of the emirate. He warned that reinstating Sanusi would lead to chaos and undermine the rule of law in Kano State.
Abubakar also accused Governor Yusuf of disregarding a Federal High Court ruling that restrains him from reinstating Sanusi, suggesting that the Governor’s actions are disrespectful to the judiciary.
The group criticized Governor Yusuf for allegedly relying on an injunction from the Kano State High Court to overturn the existing Federal High Court order, viewing this move as a dangerous precedent that undermines the hierarchy of Nigeria’s courts. Abubakar emphasized that such actions could erode public trust in the judicial system and disrupt the legal order in the country.
The group, therefore, warned that if the governor fails to retrace his steps, they would be forced to take “all necessary legal steps” to protect the judiciary and the interests of the people of Kano State.
The statement partly reads: “It has become pertinent to again address you on the Executive rascality and gross disregard of the judiciary by the executive governor of Kano state, H.E Abba K. Yusuf. You will recall that prior to the reinstatement of deposed Muhammad Sanusi ii as Emir of Kano, a Federal High Court granted an order restraining the Governor of Kano state and every other party concerned from reinstating Mohammed Sanusi ii as Emir of Kano, but the executive governor of the state, H.E Abba k. Yusuf, in breach of the court order went ahead to reinstate Mohammed Sanusi ii as Emir of Kano state.”
“We know that the judiciary is conservative and therefore look up to the bar to speak for it. As an organization of young lawyers who are irrevocably dedicated to an independent and free judiciary whose injunctions, judgements and orders must be enforced and obeyed, we are perturbed that a sitting governor who swore to protect our laws and constitution will flagrantly disregard a valid court order and engage in illegal actions that are capable of desecrating the hallowed temple of justice.”
“We will not allow this to happen unchallenged. The age-long principle of constitutionalism is very clear that no man is above the law. The governor of Kano state, irrespective of how highly placed, is not an exception.”
“The principle of separation of powers is an indispensable ingredient of democracy, open disregard of the judiciary arm by the executive as done by the executive governor of Kano state is a recipe for anarchy. We implore Nigerians to rise against such power-drunk politicians whose actions are capable of eroding our nascent democracy.”
“As a group, we will also write to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a time-tested Democrat to intervene and call on the executive Governor of Kano to order as his actions are not just injurious to our democratic settings but are also capable of overstretching our security architecture by throwing Kano state into endemic and endless crisis.”
“We also call on the NJC to take more sophisticated steps in protecting the judiciary and making its orders, injunctions and judgements more enforceable.”
“Finally, we give the executive Governor of Kano state, H.E Abba K. Yusuf, 48hours to rescind the decision of reinstating Muhammad Sanusi ii as Emir of Kano against a subsisting court order. Failure to adhere to this ultimatum, we will mobilize Nigerian lawyers to boycott Abba K. Yusuf and the government of Kano state until they purge themselves of this unacceptable disregard for the judiciary.”
“The recent order restraining Ado Bayero and others from parading as Emirs are also not granted in the best interest of justice and peace. Consequently, we call on the NJC to wade in and ensure that judicial instruments are not deployed to cause disharmony and erode public peace.”