The Supreme Court on Wednesday removed Al-Mustapha Jokolo as the Emir of Gwandu in Kebbi State.
In a split decision of three to two, the apex court nullified earlier judgments of the Kebbi State High Court and the Court of Appeal that had reinstated Jokolo as the 19th Emir.
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Emmanuel Agim held that Jokolo failed to comply with Section 5(4) of the Kebbi State Chiefs (Appointment and Deposition) Law, which requires a formal complaint to be submitted to the governor before litigation.
“There was no evidence of a pre-action notice served on the Governor,” the court ruled, deeming the suit incompetent and stripping lower courts of jurisdiction.
However, Justice Ibrahim Salami dissented, saying the governor did not act in line with due process.
Jokolo, deposed in 2005, had secured favorable rulings in 2014 and 2016. The state government and current emir, Alhaji Muhammadu Ilyasu-Bashar, appealed successfully to the Supreme Court.