Kano Assembly passes emirate council amendment bill

The Kano State House of Assembly has passed the Emirate Councils Amendment Bill 2020.

The House presided over by the Speaker, Abdulazeez Gafasa, adopted the amendment during plenary on Tuesday in Kano.

In 2019, the House approved the creation of four additional emirate councils, bringing the number of First Class Emirs in the state to five.

The new councils are Gaya; Karaye, Rano, Bichi and the existing Kano Emirate Council.

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, putting the issue of rotation to an end.

“In the new law, the number of kingmakers has also increased from four to five members, to allow for free and fair election of a new emir whenever there is vacancy.

“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,” he said.

Mr Dashi added that the amended law has also changed the title of the Council of Chiefs, now to be known the Council of Emirs.

The lawmakers, after considering the amendment at the Committee of the Whole, adopted the amendment to the bill.