By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa
A fresh legal battle has emerged over the process of filling the Kano State deputy governor slot as the Kano State House of Assembly has been asked to suspend any move to screen Murtala Garo for the position pending the determination of a suit before the High Court of Justice in Kano.
The development was contained in a letter dated April 15, 2026, addressed to the Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly and signed by Suleiman Mohammed & Co., solicitors to Kuliyya Muhammad Salihu and two others. In the letter, the lawyers said their clients had already initiated a court action against the Kano State House of Assembly and three others over what they described as an attempt to screen Mr Garo for appointment as deputy governor of the state. The suit, referenced as K/360/2026, was said to be pending before the Kano State High Court.
The lawyers argued that because the matter is already before a competent court, it has become sub judice and the assembly should exercise restraint until the case is resolved. They further urged the legislature to stay all actions concerning the matter, warning that any step taken while the case is pending could prejudice the judicial process. The letter, which was copied to the office of the Clerk of the House, bears a stamp showing it was received by the Kano State House of Assembly.
The legal move comes amid growing political stalemate over the deputy governor position in Kano, with consultations and lobbying reportedly intensifying in recent days. Although Governor Abba Yusuf has yet to submit a nominee to the House, Mr Garo, a former Commissioner for Local Government, has been shortlisted alongside former speaker of the State Assembly, Kabiru Rurum, and the managing director of Hadejia-Jama’are River Basin Development Authority, Rabiu Bichi, by the Ganduje-Barau APC group.
Party insiders say both former governor Abdullahi Ganduje and the Presidency are backing Mr Garo as the preferred candidate. However, the push has met resistance from influential camps in Kano North and Kano South, led by Senators Barau Jibrin and Kawu Sumaila, who are advocating a three-man shortlist instead of a single nominee.
Critics have also raised legal issues surrounding Mr Garo, noting that he—alongside Mr Ganduje and others—is facing corruption charges filed by the Yusuf administration at the Kano State High Court. In addition, an appeal involving Mr Garo and his brothers is pending at the Court of Appeal in Suit No. K/133C/2024, filed by the Kano State Government on March 12, 2026.
As the legal and political drama unfolds, the Kano State House of Assembly has yet to respond publicly to the letter requesting it to suspend any screening of Mr Garo. The legal move now adds a new dimension to the ongoing crisis surrounding the deputy governor position in Kano State.
