The Supreme Court of Nigeria on Monday adjourned hearing in the protracted Kano Emirate dispute to April 17, 2027, further extending the legal battle over the ancient throne.
A five-member panel led by Justice Adamu Jauro fixed the new date after proceedings were stalled by a fresh motion filed by counsel to one of the defendants.
The case, which centres on the leadership of the Kano Emirate, was earlier scheduled for hearing on Monday but could not proceed due to the application filed on April 14 and served on the appellant’s counsel a day later.
Under court rules, the appellant is entitled to 14 days to respond, a development that necessitated the adjournment.
Counsel to the appellant, Mamman Lawan Yusufari, clarified that the matter was slated for hearing and not judgment, contrary to widespread speculation.
“The suit was for hearing today and not for judgment as many were saying,” he said, adding that his team required time to respond to the motion in line with procedural rules.
The dispute is rooted in the controversial reinstatement of Muhammadu Sanusi II as the 16th Emir of Kano by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf in May 2024, following the removal of Aminu Ado Bayero.
Sanusi was earlier deposed in March 2020 by the administration of former governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, triggering a chain of legal and political disputes over the emirship.
The crisis deepened after the Kano State Government amended the Emirate Law, a move that paved the way for Sanusi’s return and sparked fresh litigation challenging the legitimacy of Bayero’s dethronement.
The suit before the apex court was filed by kingmaker, Aminu Babba Dan’Agundi, who is contesting the January 2025 judgment of the Court of Appeal.
The appellate court had ruled that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter, describing it as a chieftaincy dispute—an interpretation the Kano State Government welcomed as validation of its actions.
However, Dan’Agundi disagreed, insisting the case borders on alleged violations of fundamental human rights rather than a mere traditional leadership contest.
He subsequently approached the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn the appellate court’s decision.
With the latest adjournment, the final resolution of the Kano Emirate crisis remains uncertain, prolonging a dispute that has continued to generate political, legal and traditional tensions in the state.
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