The Kano house of assembly has repealed the law that created five emirates in the state.

During plenary on Thursday, the legislators passed the Kano State Emirate Council (Repeal) Bill 2024.

In May 2019, the assembly approved the amendment of the Kano State Emirate Council Law, which paved the way for the balkanisation of the emirate.

The legislation was purportedly conceived to whittle the powers of Muhammadu Sanusi, then Emir of Kano.

Subsequently, Abdullahi Ganduje, then governor of the state, signed the bill into law.

With the law, Kano was divided into five emirates — Kano, Rano, Gaya, Karaye and Bichi — with Emirs appointed into each emirate.

In March 2020, Ganduje deposed Sanusi as Emir of Kano “for total disrespect to lawful instructions from the office of the governor”.

During plenary last Tuesday, Lawan Hussaini Dala, the majority leader, moved a motion for the amendment of the law.

Dala said the law was not conceived in good faith, while raising concerns over the creation of the emirates.

Afterwards, the house resolved to amend the law.

The newly passed bill abolishes the five emirates and “all the appointments or offices arising therefrom”.

The bill also stipulates that the governor should restore the previous Kano emirate system.

TheCable understands that Abba Yusuf, governor of Kano, is expected to sign the bill into law today.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it has not changed its stance on the Rivers state house of assembly members who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a statement issued on Thursday, Debo Ologunagba, PDP spokesperson, said the clarification is a rebuttal to a “mischievous report” that the party is considering changing its position.

Ologunagba said the report on social media “falsely” claimed that “there are plots to compromise the party’s position and provide an unattainable lifeline” to the former members of the Rivers state house of assembly who dumped the PDP.

“The Party also clarifies that it is not under pressure from any quarters to compromise its position in court, wherein it had already clearly stated that the former Rivers state lawmakers are no longer members of the Rivers State House of Assembly from December 11, 2023, when they publicly announced their defection from the PDP to the APC,” the statement reads.

“Our party therefore stands by its position that the affected members have since lost their seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly having arrogantly committed an unpardonable constitutional breach.”

In December 2023, 27 members of the Rivers house of assembly defected from the PDP to the APC.

On Friday, a state high court in Port Harcourt, the state capital, restrained the defected assembly members from parading themselves as legislators.

The court also granted an interim injunction restraining Martin Amaewhule from parading himself as a speaker of the house.

Edison Ehie, a former factional speaker of the Rivers house of assembly, says he was offered money to impeach Siminalayi Fubara, governor of the state.

Ehie, who is currently chief of staff to Fubara, was one of the lawmakers loyal to the governor.

He became speaker in October 2023, a period when legislators loyal to Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), made an attempt to impeach Fubara.

The impeachment proceedings were halted after President Bola Tinubu brokered a peace deal.

The rift between Fubara and Wike has polarised the Rivers assembly.

Speaking at an event in the Ahoada east area of Rivers, Ehie said he rejected the money he was offered to oust Fubara.

“They invited me, your son, to impeach the governor and I told them clearly, I was not interested,” Daily Trust quoted him as saying.

“They gave me all the money that was hidden before, which I rejected. And because I refused, they conspired and declared me wanted.”

On Friday, Fubara gazetted an executive order moving the sitting of the state house of assembly to the government house.

Last week, a court restrained Martin Amaewhule and 25 members of the assembly from parading themselves as speaker and legislators respectively.