The Supreme Court has set June 6 as the date to deliver its judgment in the 20-year-old legal battle over who should occupy the throne of the Emir of Gwandu in Kebbi State, North-West Nigeria.
A five-member panel led by Justice Uwani Aji made the announcement after hearing the final arguments from the lawyers representing the parties involved in the three appeals. These appeals primarily challenge a seven-year-old ruling from the Sokoto Division of the Court of Appeal, which reinstated HRH Alhaji Mustapha Jokolo as the 19th Emir of Gwandu.
Since the Court of Appeal’s order for Jokolo’s reinstatement, the Kebbi State Government has failed to comply with the ruling, further complicating the already long-running dispute.
The conflict dates back to 2005 when Jokolo was deposed as Emir. In response, he swiftly challenged the move in the Kebbi State High Court.
In 2014, the High Court in Birnin Kebbi ruled in Jokolo’s favor, ordering his immediate reinstatement after concluding that his removal was illegal and lacked due process.
This decision was met with appeals from both the Kebbi State Government and the successor Emir, questioning the legality of the High Court’s ruling.
A subsequent judgment from the Court of Appeal in 2016 reinforced the earlier decision, declaring that the deposition of Jokolo violated sections 6 and 7 of the Chief Appointment and Deposition Law of the State. The Court found that the Governor had neither investigated the allegations against Jokolo nor consulted the Kebbi State Council of Chiefs before making the decision to depose him.
As the Supreme Court prepares to issue its final ruling, the long-standing legal battle is set to come to an end, potentially reshaping the future of the Emirate and the governance structure in Kebbi State.
