Gov. Nadir el-Rufai of Kaduna State
The Kaduna State government, Governor Nasir el’Rufai and Ahmad Nuhu Bamalli were on Tuesday ordered by the state High Court, Dogarawa, in Zaria, to refrain from the Emir of Zazzau stool.
Justice Kabiru Dabo heard the motion by Bashir Aminu, the Iyan Zazzau on Tuesday where the applicant sought an injunction to restrain Bamalli from assuming the position of the Emir of Zazzau.
Aminu also prayed the court to stop el-Rufai from presenting the staff of office to Bamalli.
Kaduna State Director of Civil Litigation, Sanusi Usman, told the judge that not all the defendants had been served with court papers.
At the court proceedings, there was a conflict of representation between the state government counsel and that of the kingmakers.
Barrister Yemi Adekunle claimed he was representing three of the five kingmakers who include Ibrahim Aminu (Waziri Zazzau), Dalhatu Ƙasimu (Limamin Juma’a) and Muhammad Aliyu (Limamin Kona).
The trio, among the defendants in the suit, applied that the court had no jurisdiction to try the matter and are not ready to go on.
Justice Dabo denied their application as well as the request for an adjournment until November 9, 2020, and adjourned until November 2, ruling that status quo be maintained.
This means Bamalli must not be regarded as the Emir of Zazzau and should not appear in public as such in the interim.
el-Rufai appointed the former Nigerian Ambassador to Thailand after jettisoning the three names submitted to him by the kingmakers who screened eleven princes from four dynasties with three emerging as finalists.
They are Aminu (the applicant) Aminu Shehu Idris (Turakin Zazzau) and Muhammadu Munir Ja’afaru (Yariman Zazzau).
But el-Rufai, after days of delay, declared Bamalli as the new Emir to the chagrin of many Kaduna people and observers outside the state.
An Emirate official, Aminu Yakubu-Wambai, resigned from his traditional title of Wakilin Raya Kasar Zazzau, a position he held for 19 years after the announcement of Bamalli as emir.
