Zazzau throne: Iyan Zazzau’s counsel withdraws suit

Counsel to the late Iyan Zazzau, Alhaji Bashar Aminu, Ustaz Yunus Usman SAN, on Wednesday, approached the court to strike out the case instituted by his client.

This followed the demise of Alhaji Bashar whose death was announced on Friday, January 1st, 2020.

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Ustaz, in a telephone interview with Daily Trust on Wednesday, said he applied to withdraw the case and the case was withdrawn and struck out.

According to him: “We were supposed to continue the hearing of the case today (Wednesday), unfortunately, on the 1st day of January, 2020, the plaintiff, our client, Iyan Zazzau died in Lagos.

“And because we call this type of case a personal case since it is not like a case that the heirs can step into the shoes of the person.

“This type of case dies with the person who instituted the action so we have no option than to withdraw the case.

“We applied to withdraw the case and the case was withdrawn and struck out.”

Iyan Zazzau, Bashar Aminu was until his death in an ongoing legal tussle with the Kaduna State Government over the selection of Ambassador Ahmed Nuhu Bamali as Emir after the death of the 18th emir, Shehu Idris on September 20th 2020.

The Throne Debacle 

Daily Trust reports that the Zazzau prince from the Katsinawa dynasty was born in 1951 and was one of the top contenders for the stool of Zazzau emirate.

Alhaji Aminu had, in October, asked a Kaduna State High Court sitting in Zaria to set aside the appointment of Ambassador Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli as the 19th Emir of Zazzau and declare him (Aminu) as the rightful monarch.

He had asked the court to declare him as the duly selected Emir of Zazzau based on the selection of the kingmakers which took place on the 24th of September 2020.

Daily Trust reports that as one of the 11 initial applicants for the throne after the demise of the 18th Emir, Shehu Idris, on September 20, 2020, the Iyan Zazzau was among the top three who made the first list in the selection process by the kingmakers on September 24.

Alhaji Bashar Aminu had scored the highest, putting him ahead of two other princes; the Yariman Zazzau, Alhaji Muhammad Munir Jafaru from the Barebari dynasty and Turakin Zazzau, Alhaji Aminu Shehu Idris, also from the Katsinawa dynasty.

However, Bamalli was eventually announced as the Emir of Zazzau, exactly a week after Governor Nasir El-Rufai ordered for a fresh selection process that expanded the list of contenders to 13.