Supreme court overturns ruling reinstating deposed Emir of Gwandu

By Kunle Sanni

The Supreme Court has set aside a ruling by a Kebbi State High Court that reinstated Al-Mustapha Jokolo as the 19th Emir of Gwandu, declaring the judgment legally defective due to procedural lapses.

In a split decision delivered on Wednesday, a five-member panel of the apex court held that Mr. Jokolo failed to follow the dispute resolution steps mandated by law before initiating the case in court.

Reading the lead judgment, Justice Emmanuel Agim emphasized that Mr. Jokolo did not comply with Section 5(4) of the Kebbi State Chiefs (Appointment and Deposition) Law, which requires any aggrieved individual to first submit a formal complaint to the state governor before approaching the courts.

“This suit was filed prematurely without first presenting a complaint to the governor as stipulated by law,” Justice Agim said. “The trial court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter, and its decision is therefore null and void.”

The court ruled that failure to comply with this provision rendered the lawsuit incompetent from the outset, making the High Court’s judgment invalid.

Al-Mustapha Jokolo, a former Aide-de-Camp to ex-Head of State Muhammadu Buhari, was removed from the throne in 2005 under controversial circumstances. He later challenged his removal in court and secured a favourable judgment from a Kebbi State High Court.

Wednesday’s Supreme Court decision, however, has nullified that ruling, effectively ending Mr. Jokolo’s legal bid to reclaim the Gwandu emirship through the courts — at least for now.