A retired Justice of Nigeria’s Supreme Court, Hon. Justice Musa Muhammad Dattijo, has issued a pointed clarification following claims by former Kano State governor and national leader of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, that he visited the homes of Supreme Court justices to plead over governor Abba Yusuf’s election dispute.
Justice Dattijo stressed 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.
His statement follows recent remarks by Kwankwaso alleging that after the 2019 Kano governorship election was declared inconclusive, he personally took Yusuf to the residences of all Supreme Court justices to seek intervention.
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.
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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.
Warning Against Reckless Political Claims
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.
While acknowledging that public perception of Nigeria’s judiciary has deteriorated over the years, he reiterated a position he articulated in his valedictory speech, where he described public attitudes toward the courts as “witheringly scornful and monstrously critical.”
However, he underscored that judicial accountability must be pursued through evidence and due process, not sweeping political narratives.
“My intervention is not intended to defend or indict anyone else,” he said. “It is simply to clarify that I was not part of any such engagement.”
Constitution, Faith, and the Limits of Speech
Justice Dattijo invoked the 1999 Constitution, noting that while freedom of expression is guaranteed, it is not without limits—particularly where statements risk harming the reputation of others or undermining public institutions.
He also framed his response within his personal faith, citing Qur’an Chapter 4 (An-Nisa), Verse 135, which enjoins believers to stand firmly for justice, even against themselves or those close to them.
He warned that societies unravel when wrongdoing is ignored, tolerated, legitimised, and ultimately celebrated—before those who resist it are punished.
Quoting organisational psychologist Adam Grant, Dattijo stressed that integrity requires loyalty to principles rather than personalities, adding that judicial reform must be grounded in honesty, restraint, and collective responsibility.
Political Context: Defection and Fallout
The controversy unfolds amid political upheaval in Kano following Governor Abba Yusuf’s defection from the NNPP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Yusuf cited internal party crises and leadership disputes as reasons for his exit. Kwankwaso, however, accused his former ally of handing over the NNPP’s mandate to political opponents.
Speaking to supporters in a widely circulated video, Kwankwaso revisited the 2019 election crisis, describing it as an unprecedented injustice and recounting what he said were desperate efforts to salvage Yusuf’s mandate—including the alleged visits to Supreme Court justices.
Revisiting the Kano Election Battles
The 2019 Kano governorship election was declared inconclusive after the margin between the leading candidates fell below the number of cancelled votes. Following a supplementary poll, APC’s Abdullahi Ganduje was declared the winner—a decision later upheld by the Supreme Court in January 2020.
In 2023, Yusuf returned to power on the NNPP platform. Although his victory was overturned by both the election tribunal and the Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court in January 2024 reinstated him, faulting the lower courts and restoring cancelled votes.
That ruling remains one of the most consequential and closely watched electoral decisions of Nigeria’s recent democratic history.
Judiciary in the Crosshairs
Justice Dattijo’s clarification has sharpened the debate, not by closing it, but by drawing a careful line between personal denial and institutional judgment.
As political tensions rise, his message is a narrow but pointed one: claims involving the judiciary must be precise, evidence-based, and responsibly framed, lest they further weaken public trust in an institution already under strain.
Click here to read more about the Supreme Court’s verdict on the election.
