One of the Zazzau Kingmakers, Alhaji Ibrahim Mohammed Aminu who participated in the selection of the 19th Emir of Zazzau, has taken the Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai and 13 others to the state High Court, asking for the removal of Ambassador Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli as Emir of Zazzau.

Among the 13 other respondents in the case which came up for mention at the Kaduna State High Court 4 on Wednesday are: the Emir, Amb. Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli and the late Limamin Kona, Malam Sani Aliyu who died in July 2021.

Daily Sun sreports that Bamalli who is the former Nigeria Ambassador to Thailand, was appointed the 19th Emir of Zazzau on Wednesday, 7th October, 2020 by Governor Nasir El-Rufai outside the recommendation made to him by the Zazzau Emirate Kingmakers.

Alhaji Ibrahim Mohammed Aminu, who held the position of Wazirin Zazzau, a title that qualified him as one of the kingmakers, is seeking nullification of the appointment of Amb. Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli and his removal as the Emir of Zazzau.

When the case came up for mention before the court on Wednesday, Justice Isah Aliyu adjourned the matter to February 23, 2023, to allow the Plaintiff study and respond to the preliminary objections filed by some of the respondents.

Speaking to journalists shortly after the court session, counsel to the plaintiff, Rabiu Saidu Esq. said, his client is challenging the qualification of Emir Bamali and wants his appointment nullified and removed from office as Emir of Zazzau. “Mainly we are in court because we are challenging the appointment of Amb. Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli as the Emir of Zazzau. Because we believe that, as it were, the extant laws, the relevant tradition and custom were not followed in his appointment by the authority.

“Normally names are sent by the kingmakers to the Governor of the State and these names are sent in order of priority or qualification as assessed by the kingmakers. So, we are saying among several other complains that are there in the processes we filed is that, the person who is currently occupying the position of the Emir of Zazzau now was not among the names or that he was not qualified in the phase of the other names that were sent to the Governor. So, he could not just have been appointed in violation of the recommendations that were sent to the Governor.

“In essence, we are saying that, he (Amb. Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli) should be removed or that the appointment should be nullified as it were, that it is null and void, having not complied with the relevant laws. We have made prayers in the alternative that, either of Alhaji Munir Ja’afaru or one other person there should be appointed,” he said.

Speaking about the inclusion of a deceased Kingmaker among the respondents, Saidu said, “The inclusion of the Late Limamin Kona in among the respondents is not really a problem, even though we are going to be taking the relevant steps to ensure his name is removed from the case. However, what is valid is that, the office which is ‘Limamin Kona of Zazzau’ is not personal to the name. So, if there is someone who has occupied that office, that person’s name will be the one that would be substituted. The office is included because of the role or functions that might have had or have bearing to the relief we are seeking in the court.”

Counsel to the Zazzau Emirate Council, who is the 6th defendant, Aminu Usman Bamali said the case was adjourned because counsel to the plaintiff did not provide a proper address of service to the respondents.

“The counsel to the plaintiff ought to have provided address for service within jurisdiction because the lawyer that filed the matter is based in Abuja, he was expected to provide the defendants address for service within Kaduna which he did not.

“Order 4 rule 6 of the Kaduna State High Court, Civil procedure provides for that, it is mandatory and it makes it difficult for us to serve them on time. Also, the 10th defendant is deceased and he cannot be served, so the plaintiff has to make an application for either his replacement or he is struck out from the matter,” he said.

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