Nigeria Case Law

Imagine finding out you've lost your throne from a television broadcast. That's essentially what happened to a Nigerian traditional ruler at the centre of a two-decade legal saga that finally reached its climax at the Supreme Court — a saga that pitted questions of royal succession against the fine print of a state chieftaincy law, and that ultimately turned less on palace intrigue than on a single missed administrative step. The Facts In September 1995, a military administrator appointed a man as the 19th Emir of Gwandu in what is now Kebbi State. A decade later, in June 2005, the state governor summarily deposed him. The announcement went out on Kebbi State Television on a Friday afternoon, followed by an official letter. By the time the dust settled, a new person had been installed as the 20th Emir. The Journey Through the Courts The deposed emir went to court, arguing that he'd been thrown out without any inquiry, without consultation with the relevant traditional counc...