Emir Sanusi’s Dethronement: Gov. Ganduje was lawless, abused power – HURIWA

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has lambasted the Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje for “hurriedly dethroning the powerful Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi despite pending litigation before a court of competent jurisdiction.

HURIWA, a prominent rights group stated that the action of the state government to unilaterally remove Sanusi without waiting for the matters instituted by the Emir to be determined was another manifestation of the disdainful way the All Progressives Congress, APC, looks at the judicial arm of government.

Recall that the state government had announced the immediate removal of Sanusi as the Emir of Kano.

The dethronement was disclosed by the State Secretary to the Government, Usman Alhaji, who stated that Sanusi was removed for his total disrespect for the lawful instructions of government and the lawful authorities.

However, HURIWA, in a statement by its spokesperson, Emmanuel Onwubiko dismissed the dethronement of the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, as “lawless and a primitive show of brute force.”

The rights group insisted that Sanusi’s removal was a “resort to crude self-help measures since the embattled Emir was already in the Kano state High Court challenging his invitation by the Kano state House of Assembly over so-called allegations of corruption.”

According to the rights group: “This action is an abuse of power and this will harm democracy in a big way unless overturned by the Court of law since the governor is in breach of the law to have decided to dethrone the Emir even as there is a matter over the same subject before the competent court of law.

“As someone who swore an oath of office not to undermine the Nigerian constitution, we urge the Kano state governor to immediately revoke the dethronement and let the matters in courts run their full courses.

“We in HURIWA hereby call on the Kano state governor Abdullahi Ganduje to reverse his illegal decision to dismiss the Emir of Kano and await the determination of the matter the traditional ruler filed before the competent court of law. The Kano state governor has benefitted so much from the court system.

“How come he is behind this indescribable affront against the judiciary? Section 6 is clear on the powers of the judiciary and whilst the matter is pending, it is illegal to seek to foist a fait accompli on the court.

“Section 6(1)(2)(3) of the constitution provides thus: “(1) The judicial powers of the Federation shall be vested in the courts to which this section relates, being courts established for the Federation. (2) The judicial powers of a State shall be vested in the courts to which this section relates, being courts established, subject as provided by this Constitution, for a State. (3) The courts to which this section relates, established by this Constitution for the Federation and for the States, specified in subsection (5) (a) to (1) of this section, shall be the only superior courts of record in Nigeria; and save as otherwise prescribed by the National Assembly or by the House of Assembly of a State, each court shall have all the powers of a superior court of record.”