Supreme Court has reinstated Jokolo as Emir Of Gwandu after 20-year legal battle.
NaijaOnPoint Nigeria reports that the Supreme Court on Wednesday reinstated Al-Mustapha Haruna Jokolo as the 19th Emir of Gwandu, bringing to a close a protracted legal tussle that has lingered for two decades.
Delivering a consolidated judgment in Abuja, a five-member panel of justices led by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji upheld the rulings of both the Kebbi State High Court and the Court of Appeal, which had earlier ordered Jokolo’s reinstatement.
Jokolo was deposed in 2005 under controversial circumstances by the then Kebbi State Government, sparking a fierce legal contest that would become one of Nigeria’s longest-running royal succession disputes.
Unyielding in his quest for justice, the deposed monarch approached the courts to challenge the legality of his removal, insisting his dethronement violated due process.
The Supreme Court, in its June 4, 2025, judgment, which was brought forward from the initially scheduled June 6 due to the Eid-el-Kabir holidays, considered four appeals and two cross-appeals filed by the parties involved before issuing its landmark ruling.
The apex court affirmed Jokolo’s right to the throne, effectively nullifying the decision that led to his removal and restoring him as the legitimate Emir of Gwandu.
Jokolo was represented in court by Barrister Sylvester Imhanobe, while the Kebbi State Government and the current Emir, Alhaji Muhammadu Ilyasu-Bashar, were represented by Yakubu Maikyau (SAN) and Hussaini Zakariya (SAN), respectively.
With the Supreme Court ruling now delivered, attention has shifted to how the Kebbi State Government and the Gwandu Emirate Council will implement the decision.
The judgment is expected to bring final closure to a crisis that has caused tension and division within the Gwandu Emirate since 2005.