A senior lawyer and human rights activist, Femi Falana, has affirmed Muhammadu Sanusi II as the legitimate emir of Kano.
In an apparent allusion to President Bola Tinubu’s alleged interference in Kano and Rivers, Mr Falana said there can’t be two emirs in Kano and two speakers in Rivers State.
The Court of Appeal judgement on Friday reversed an order of a Federal High Court which nullified Mr Sanusi’s appointment.
The panel led by Justice Gabriel Kolawole said the nullification of Mr Sanusi’s appointment was done without the required jurisdiction.
The judge ruled that the matter, being a chieftaincy dispute, ought to have been determined by the Kano State high court rather than the Federal High Court.
But speaking at the 21st Memorial Lecture of Chief Gani Fawehinmi in Lagos, Mr Falana said despite stiff opposition, Mr Sanusi has come to stay.
He said, “But as for us as lawyers, when we are gathered there, we must tell ourselves some basic truths. Your Majesty, we want to congratulate you for your victory in the Court of Appeal.”
The legal luminary also urged the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, to intervene and sanction erring lawyers in the dispute.
“Your opponents say they are going to the Supreme Court as far as the law is concerned, and it’s so certain, and this is where the NBA must come in… where the law has been settled that the traditional institution is not a fundamental right matter. So, you can’t say as a traditional ruler, you are going to enforce your fundamental rights in court.
“Two, the court again has made the point that the federal high court has no jurisdiction on chieftaincy matters. So if some of our colleagues are deceiving their clients and they are causing problems in the country, the NBA owes it a duty to begin to intervene and call our colleagues to order.
“Your Majesty, wherever they are going, whether to the Supreme Court or whatever, you have come to stay. And we must only have one emir in Kano. We can’t have two emirs in Kano, two speakers in Rivers. This confusion must stop.”
