Supreme Court reinstates Al-Mustapha Jokolo as Emir of Gwandu after 20-year legal battle
The Supreme Court on Wednesday reinstated Al-Mustapha Haruna Jokolo as the 19th Emir of Gwandu, ending a protracted legal battle that has lasted nearly two decades.
In a landmark decision delivered in Abuja, a five-member panel of justices led by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji upheld earlier rulings by the Kebbi State High Court and the Court of Appeal, both of which had ordered Jokolo’s reinstatement. The apex court considered four appeals and two cross-appeals before issuing a consolidated judgment in favour of the deposed monarch.
Jokolo was removed from the throne in 2005 under controversial circumstances by the then Kebbi State Government. His removal sparked one of Nigeria’s longest-running royal succession disputes, as he immediately took legal action to challenge his ousting.
Originally scheduled for June 6, the Supreme Court’s ruling was brought forward to June 4, 2025, due to the upcoming Eid-el-Kabir celebrations.
Barrister Sylvester Imhanobe represented Jokolo in court, while the Kebbi State Government and the current Emir, Alhaji Muhammadu Ilyasu-Bashar, were represented by Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Yakubu Maikyau and Hussaini Zakariya, respectively.
The judgment is widely seen as bringing final closure to the royal crisis that has divided the Gwandu Emirate since 2005. In the immediate aftermath of the ruling, mixed reactions emerged in Birnin Kebbi, with some residents calling for calm and urging all parties to embrace unity and peace.
Attention now turns to how the Kebbi State Government and the traditional institutions in the state will respond to the Supreme Court’s verdict, which has profound implications for the emirate’s leadership and local governance.
