A group of lawyers from Northern Nigeria has issued a 48 hours ultimatum to Kano State governor, Abba Yusuf, to rescind the reinstatement of Emir Muhammad Sanusi II.
The lawyers, who identified themselves as the Northern Lawyers’ Forum, at a briefing on Tuesday in Abuja, said that Sanusi’s reinstatement is “unconstitutional” and “contrary to the traditions and customs of the Kano Emirate”.
The forum’s Director General, Barr Umar Sadiq Abubakar, argued that Sanusi’s initial removal was in line with the laws and traditions of the Emirate, arguing that his reinstatement would “create chaos and undermine the rule of law” in the state.
Abubakar accused Governor Yusuf of making a mockery of the country’s judiciary by willfully disobeying a Federal High Court ruling restraining him from reinstating Sanusi.
According to him, Yusuf’s acclaimed injunction from the Kano State High Court, purporting to vacate the subsisting order is a clear affront to the authority of the Federal High Court and a dangerous precedent that undermines the hierarchy of the country’s courts.
The group 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.”