The Emirate Council Amendment Bill 2020 has been passed on Tuesday by the Kano State House of Assembly, making the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero the permanent chairman of the council.
The amendment was adopted by the house during its plenary which was presided over by the speaker, Rt. Hon. Abdulazeez Gafasa.
Recall that last year the Assembly approved the creation of four new emirate councils which brought the number of first-class emirs in the state to five.
The new emirates are Gaya, Karaye, Rano and Bichi, which joined the Kano Emirate Council.
The creation of the additional emirates by Governor Abdullahi Ganduje did not go down well with the deposed emir, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, and some prominent persons in the state, who opposed the development.
Speaking on the floor of the house, the Majority Leader of the House, Kabiru Dashi said the amendment made provisions for the Emir of Kano to serve as the Chairman of the Council of Chiefs, thus, bringing the issue of rotation to an end.
He said in the new law, the number of kingmakers had also increased from four to five members to allow for the free and fair election of a new emir whenever there was a vacancy.
Dashi stated, “We have four kingmakers in each of the emirate councils; in the case of death or removal, we are trying to avoid a situation where two will support and two will reject.
“By increasing the number to five, it must be free and fair, while electing an emir. And also, the new law will provide a three-day deadline for the election of a new emir.”
Dashi said that the amended law had also changed the title of the Council of Chiefs to the Council of Emirs.
The lawmakers after considering the amendment at the Committee of the Whole, adopted the amendment to the bill.