The Supreme Court has fixed June 6, 2025, for its final judgment in the two-decade-old legal battle over the rightful occupant of the Emir of Gwandu stool in Kebbi State, North-West Nigeria.
The long-standing dispute pits the deposed 19th Emir of Gwandu, HRH Alhaji Mustapha Jokolo, against the Kebbi State Government and others over the legality of his removal from office.
A five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Uwani Aji, announced the judgment date on Thursday after taking final arguments from legal representatives involved in three consolidated appeals.
The appeals center on the order granted by the Sokoto Division of the Court of Appeal in 2016, which reinstated Alhaji Mustapha Jokolo as Emir of Gwandu. Despite the ruling, the Kebbi State Government has refused to implement the judgment, leaving the stool of the Emir of Gwandu mired in controversy.
Alhaji Jokolo, who was deposed in 2005, challenged his removal at the Kebbi State High Court, arguing that due process was not followed. After a prolonged legal tussle, the Birnin Kebbi High Court in 2014 ordered his immediate reinstatement, ruling that his dethronement was illegal.
However, the Kebbi State Government and Jokolo’s successor appealed the decision. In 2016, the Court of Appeal in Sokoto upheld the lower court’s decision, stating that Jokolo’s deposition contravened sections 6 and 7 of Kebbi State’s Chiefs Appointment and Deposition Law.
The appellate court noted that the governor failed to conduct an inquiry into the allegations against the Emir and did not consult the Kebbi State Council of Chiefs, as required by law.
