The Kano State House of Assembly has dissolved all four newly created emirate councils in the state. This decision followed deliberations during a plenary session on Thursday.
The Kano State Emirates Council Amendment Bill, which facilitated this dissolution, was considered on the floor of the House after successfully passing its second and third readings on Thursday morning.
Deputy Speaker Muhammad Butu explained that repealing the law would restore the lost glory of Kano.
He argued that the division of the Kano emirate into five parts had diminished the state’s capacity and dignity at the national level.
Majority Leader Alhaji Lawan Dala echoed this sentiment, stating that the emirate council is a custodian of culture, which had been distorted by the creation of the additional four emirates.
The amendment effectively abolishes the new emirate councils, leaving only the original Kano Emirate intact. The House also adopted a motion to create a new second-class emirate council in the state.
Earlier reports from May indicated that the House had initiated steps to amend the Kano State Emirs (Appointment and Deposition) Law.
In January 2024, former Kano governor and leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement, Sen. Rabi’u Kwankwaso, hinted that the issue of the Kano emirates would be revisited.
Former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje had previously split the Kano emirate into five and dethroned the then Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II.
Following the New Nigerian Peoples Party’s victory in the recent election, Kwankwaso suggested that Abba Kabir Yusuf’s government would review the emirate’s balkanization and the dethronement.
Kwankwaso stated, “Honestly, the Kano Emirates issue is one of the things that nobody has sat with me to discuss so far, but I am sure we are going to sit and see how to go about it. Is it going to be allowed, demolished, corrected, or whatever? It will be revisited, and what’s supposed to be done will be done.
“There were a lot of things, and this was a trap. All these things were not done in good faith or intention. It was brought with some bad intentions which everyone is aware of.
“Sometimes you come with things that are good and they turn out to be bad, while sometimes you bring bad things and they turn out to be good. So, all I know is that I was not consulted as of now, but definitely, we will come to discuss and see what should be done.”
This move is seen as an effort to address past controversies and restore the traditional structure of the Kano emirate, reinforcing its cultural and historical significance.
