Emirate tussle: The Battle has just started – Pro-Bayero kingmaker

Aminu Babba Danagundi, a kingmaker loyal to Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, 15th Emir of Kano, says the crisis rocking the emirate has just started.

Danagundi, who had filed a suit to challenge the reinstatement of Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi as Emir of Kano, said this at the Nassarawa Mini palace, on Sunday.

He was reacting to the judgment of a three-member panel of justices, on Friday.

In their judgement read by Justice Gabriel Kolawole, the court held that the previous nullification of Sanusi’s appointment was done without the required jurisdiction.

The court had subsequently ordered transfer of the suit to the Kano State High Court.

Justice Kolawole held that the matter, being a chieftaincy dispute, ought to have been determined by the high court of Kano State rather than the Federal High Court.

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Responding, Danagundi said, “Regarding the judgment of the Court of Appeal, you are all aware that what the Federal High Court did, we went to the Federal High Court because of our fundamental rights. The judge in his own wisdom believes he has the jurisdiction to address that issue. In his ruling, I’m still recapitulating my memory. He said all the judgments, all the citations that they are referring to the issue of jurisdiction of the Federal High Courts, they are referring to the case of Sarkin Muri in which the Supreme Court decided that any issue relating to chieftaincy issues, you have to go back to the State High Courts.

“But our own issue and the issue of Sarki Muri is different. The Judge went on in that his ruling to explain that. But since the Court of Appeal decides that the Federal High Court does not have the jurisdiction to entertain that case, there is nothing we can do than to appeal against their own judgment.”

Danagundi said he had instructed his lawyers to proceed with all necessary arrangements to file for appeal at the Supreme Court.

“I have already instructed my lawyers since Friday to get a certified true copy of that judgment and we appeal to the Supreme Court. And as you know, for any decision or judgment of a lower court or the Court of Appeal, once you appeal against that judgment, you stay in the Supreme Court until the final determination of the suit before the Supreme Court.

“So for me, I have said it when I came out of the court. I said I’m not satisfied with that decision of the Court of Appeal and even in that decision, I was in the court. The judge that did the lead judgment, wrote the lead judgment, said, having seen all that has happened, he is of the view that we should transfer this case to the state’s Chief Judge for redirection to another court so that we can have fair hearing. They are not saying that they don’t agree with us. All they are saying is that they don’t have that court that has jurisdiction. That’s all. That’s all they said.

“After he finished reading his judgment, the other two judges disagreed with him. As you know, there are three. If two disagree, then they strike out the appeal. Because of that reason, I have to appeal against the suit of that court to the Supreme Court.

“Whatever the Supreme Court does, that’s a final issue. Then we go back to the Almighty Allah. And like I’ve been saying, the case of His Royal Highness Mustafa Jikolo, the Emir of Gwandu, he initiated the fair hearing issue in the state high court. This is almost 20 years. The case is not in timing. Why? How? What is the problem? So nobody can celebrate victory on this issue because the case is still pending. I have appealed against that judgment.

“I spent 17 years in Court with late Emir Ado Bayero and I won. If I am to spend 20 years on this so be it, Governors will come and go, we will be on it until we take it to the finish line. Nobody, no governor can impose the Emir on us. I am not scared of any human being born of a woman on this issue. I can go to any extent.

“They have given us fair hearing. So let’s come back for a retrial of that case. So we are waiting for the state’s chief judge to assign to any judge of their choice. We know what we are going to do before him. If we agree with him, the next day we go back. This is a procedure that can take as long as only God knows.”

Further speaking on the stay of Aminu Ado Bayero at the Nassarawa Mini palace, he said a court of law has delivered judgement on that and until it’s challenged, it stands.

He said, “The emir of Kano is in this house and the court has made a judgment on that regard that he should stay in this house. He will have the protection of all security agencies for as long as the whole issue of cases is not the time. In the case of the Kano State High Court, they also made a declaration that the security agencies, that’s the DSS, the Inspector General, should stop giving the emir cover, security.

“In that, that was set aside. Therefore now the IG, the military, the DSS should give maximum security to the emir of Kano. That’s the position. That is what they ask, that is their own, that it should be declared. That is their prayer and it has been nullified. So that’s the position.”