Nigeria, Dec. 5 -- The Kano State House of Assembly has passed an executive bill seeking to split the state into five emirates through the creation of four new emirates.

The lawmakers rushed through the bill on Thursday. It was presented to them by Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, on Monday, after the state high court nullified the creation of the emirates and appointment of its emirs.

Governor Ganduje had created the new emirates last year in a development widely seen as an attempt to whittle down the influence of the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sunusi.

At the plenary session presided by the speaker, Abdulazeez Garba-Gafasa, on Wednesday and Thursday, the House unanimously agreed on the creation of the new emirates.

The leader of the house, L...