S’Court fixes June 6 for judgment in 20-year Kebbi Emirate dispute

The Supreme Court has fixed June 6 for judgment, in the 20-year-old dispute over who should occupy the stool of the Emir of Gwandu in Kebbi State, North-West, Nigeria.

A five-member panel of the court, led by Justice Uwani Aji, chose the date after taking final arguments from lawyers to parties in the three appeals filed. The appeals are mainly challenging the order granted about seven years ago by the Sokoto Division of the Court of Appeal, which reinstated HRH Alhaji Mustapha Jokolo as the 19th Emir of Gwandu.

Since the order for reinstatement of Jokolo was made, the Kebbi State Government has failed to comply. Alhaji Jokolo was deposed in 2005, an action he promptly challenged his dethronement before the Kebbi State High Court. In 2014, a state High Court sitting in Birnin Kebbi ordered Alhaji Jokolo’s immediate reinstatement, upon being satisfied that he was illegally deposed and that due process was not followed.

The Kebbi State Government and Jokolo’s successor subsequently appealed, challenging the decision of the State High Court.

In a judgment in 2016, the Court of Appeal held that the deposition of the Emir contravened sections 6 and 7 of the Chief Appointment and Deposition Law of the State because the Governor neither made an inquiry into the allegation against the Emir nor consulted the Kebbi State’s Council of Chiefs before arriving at his decision.