In a significant legislative move, the Kano State House of Assembly passed the Kano Emirates Council Law (Repeal Bill) 2024, effectively abolishing the establishment of five new emirates within the state.
The bill successfully passed its third reading on Thursday, marking a return to the traditional single emirate structure.
Sponsored by the Majority Leader and representative of the Dala Constituency, Lawan Hussaini Chediyar Yan Gurasa, the bill has undone the establishment of the Kano, Bichi, Rano, Gaya, and Karaye emirates.
This law, which initially created these emirates, was first signed by former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje on December 5, 2019.
The repealed law had designated jurisdiction over local government areas, with Kano and Karaye each having eight, Bichi and Gaya each having nine, and Rano enjoying jurisdiction over ten out of the state’s 44 local councils.
The legislative changes also required all district heads elevated under the repealed law to revert to their previous positions, effectively dissolving offices established by the 2019 law.
The 2024 amendment follows the controversial deposition of Emir Muhammadu Sanusi on March 9, 2020, after which the law was modified to state that the Kano Emirate’s emir would chair the council.
Section 12 of the repealed law allowed the governor to classify emirs into first, second, or third classes, subject to Assembly approval.
This legislative move reverses the previous administration’s efforts to decentralize the emirate’s authority, which many perceived as an attempt to diminish the power of deposed Emir Muhammadu Sanusi.
The Assembly’s decision has effectively restored the pre-2019 structure, consolidating the state’s emirates back into a single entity and eliminating the administrative divisions created over the past five years.
