The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has resolved that the Association formally petition the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant security agencies over public statements and claims suggesting interference with, or undue influence over, the judicial process, particularly those attributed to former Governor of Kano State, Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

The resolution followed NEC deliberations arising from widespread public attention to comments reportedly made by Kwankwaso in which he claimed involvement in engagements with Justices of the Supreme Court during the 2019 Kano State governorship election proceedings.

NEC noted that such claims, whether made directly or by implication, are capable of undermining public confidence in the independence of the judiciary and the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral justice system.

NEC further resolved that the scope of the petition should not be limited to the claims attributed to Kwankwaso alone, but should extend to any other individual who has made statements, admissions, or public comments suggesting that they influenced, attempted to influence, or had improper access to judicial officers or judicial decision-making processes.

In adopting the resolution, NEC emphasised that the petition is directed at the claims and assertions themselves, and not a presumption of guilt. The objective is to ensure that allegations of this gravity are subjected to thorough, impartial, and professional investigation.

NEC noted that where such claims are false, they are dangerous and corrosive to constitutional democracy and must be firmly repudiated. Where they are true, accountability must follow in accordance with the law.

NEC therefore mandated the National Executive Committee of the NBA to prepare and submit a formal petition to the Nigeria Police Force and other appropriate security agencies, requesting a comprehensive investigation into all such claims of judicial interference or influence, with a view to safeguarding judicial independence and restoring public confidence in the administration of justice.

The Nigerian Bar Association reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary, and the principle that no person, regardless of status or political history, is entitled to make or propagate claims that cast doubt on the integrity of the courts without lawful scrutiny.

Kwankwaso, National Leader of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), had made the claims while expressing deep political disappointment over the defection of Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the move as a painful betrayal.

Speaking to supporters at his residence in a video shared by his media aide, Saifullahi Hassan, Kwankwaso revisited the events surrounding the 2019 Kano governorship election, which was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), leading to a supplementary poll and eventual litigation that culminated at the Supreme Court.

“Injustice. In my entire life, I cannot remember where such a thing has ever been done before,” Kwankwaso said in Hausa.

Recalling the period, Kwankwaso disclosed: “I had forgotten that in 2019, I took him to the homes of all the Supreme Court justices in Nigeria to beg them. The governor and I met them in their villages and towns.”

However, Kwankwaso did not mention the names of the specific justices he claimed to have visited.

A retired Justice of Nigeria’s Supreme Court, Hon. Justice Musa Muhammad Dattijo, had issued a pointed clarification following Kwankwaso’s claims, stressing that he was speaking strictly with respect to himself, insisting that at no time did he meet Kwankwaso or Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf, whether in connection with the election or any other matter, while he served on the apex court.

In a statement made available to Law & Society Magazine, Justice Dattijo, who retired on October 27, 2023, challenged Kwankwaso to provide specifics of the alleged visits, while making it clear that his response should not be interpreted as a blanket denial on behalf of the judiciary.

“I speak only for myself,” the retired justice said, noting that he was a serving Justice of the Supreme Court at the time and never held such a meeting with Kwankwaso or Governor Abba Yusuf.

He added that if Kwankwaso maintains his claim, he should state when and where such meetings occurred, who was present, and which justices were involved, stressing that careless generalisations risk damaging the integrity of judicial officers who may have had no involvement whatsoever.

Justice Dattijo cautioned politicians against indiscriminately dragging judicial officers into partisan disputes, warning that such claims, whether substantiated or not, feed public cynicism toward the courts.

In the 2019 election, Yusuf, then the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, initially led with 1,014,353 votes, ahead of then-Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of the APC, who polled 953,522 votes. With over 100,000 votes cancelled, INEC declared the election inconclusive.

Following a supplementary election across 28 local government areas, Ganduje was declared winner. The Supreme Court later dismissed Yusuf’s appeal in January 2020, affirming Ganduje’s victory.

Kwankwaso and Yusuf later left the PDP for the NNPP, on whose platform Yusuf won the 2023 Kano governorship election, largely backed by the Kwankwasiyya political movement.

Governor Yusuf announced his resignation from the NNPP last Friday, citing deepening internal crises and prolonged leadership disputes within the party.

As of the time of this report, Kwankwaso had not responded to Justice Dattijo’s challenge to provide specifics of the alleged visits to Supreme Court justices’ homes.

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