KEY POINTS

• NBA will petition police and security agencies over claims suggesting interference in the Supreme Court during the 2019 Kano governorship dispute.
• The association says such statements undermine judicial independence and public confidence in the electoral justice system.
• The planned petition will cover all similar allegations, while calling for impartial investigation and accountability.

The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has resolved to petition the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies over claims suggesting interference in the judicial process, following comments attributed to Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, national leader of the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP.

The decision was taken by the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) after the remarks gained widespread public attention and sparked concern within legal and political circles.

According to the NBA, statements of this nature, whether explicit or implied, pose a serious threat to public confidence in the independence of the judiciary and the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral justice system.

Kwankwaso’s Comments and the 2019 Kano Governorship Dispute

Kwankwaso was reported to have said that during the 2019 Kano State governorship election dispute, he personally took Abba Yusuf, now Kano State governor, to meet justices of the Supreme Court after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the election inconclusive.

The case was eventually decided by the apex court in favour of former governor Abdullahi Ganduje, whose election was upheld, while Yusuf’s petition was dismissed.

Kwankwaso allegedly made the remarks while addressing supporters following Yusuf’s recent defection from the NNPP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a statement posted on X by Etaba Agbor, secretary of the NBA Young Lawyers’ Forum, the association said the NEC deliberated extensively on the implications of the comments.

The NBA noted that claims suggesting access to or influence over judicial officers, if left unaddressed, could erode public trust in the courts and weaken the foundations of constitutional democracy.

The association stressed that it views such allegations as extremely grave, regardless of the status or influence of the individual making them.