The Supreme Court has affirmed Alhaji Muhammad Bashir as the substantive Emir of Gwandu, bringing an end to the prolonged dispute over the Gwandu Emirate.
In a split three-to-two decision, the apex court ruled that the deposed Emir, Al-Mustapha Jokolo, did not initiate the suit through proper legal procedure.
Specifically, the court found that Jokolo failed to serve a pre-action notice on the Governor of Kebbi State, a crucial step required before filing the suit.
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This procedural error, the court held, deprived the trial court of its jurisdiction to hear the case. Consequently, the entire proceedings and judgments of both the trial court and the Court of Appeal were set aside.
The Supreme Court stated, “The deposed Emir of Gwandu, Al-Mustapha Haruna Jokolo did not initiate the suit via due process of law. The court held that pre-action notice is crucial to be served on the Governor of Kebbi State and the deposed emir did not issue a petition to the governor before initiating the action.”
Sylvester Imanobe served as counsel for Al-Mustapha Haruna Jokolo, Y. C. Maikyau (SAN) represented the Governor of Kebbi State, and Hussaini Zakariya, SAN, represented the Emir of Gwandu.
With this judgment, the Supreme Court has restored the status quo, affirming Bashir as the Emir of Gwandu and concluding the lengthy legal battle.
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