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 NNPP leader, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
Kwankwaso had claimed that he visited the homes of Supreme Court justices to plead over Governor Abba Yusuf’s election dispute.
Justice Dattijo’s Response
Justice Dattijo stressed that he was speaking strictly for himself.
He insisted that at no time did he meet Kwankwaso or Governor Yusuf in connection with the election or any other matter while serving on the apex court.
“I speak only for myself,” he said, noting that he was a serving Justice of the Supreme Court at the time and never held such a meeting.
He challenged Kwankwaso to provide specifics of the alleged visits—when and where they occurred.
He also demanded for who was present, and which justices were involved.
Dattijo emphasized that careless generalisations risk damaging the integrity of judicial officers who may have had no involvement whatsoever.
Warning Against Reckless Political Claims
The retired justice cautioned politicians against indiscriminately dragging judicial officers into partisan disputes.
He warned that such claims, whether substantiated or not, feed public cynicism toward the courts.
While acknowledging that public perception of Nigeria’s judiciary has deteriorated, he reiterated a position from his valedictory speech.
Therein, he described attitudes toward the courts as “witheringly scornful and monstrously critical.”
He underscored that accountability must be pursued through evidence and due process, not sweeping political narratives.
Constitution, Faith, and Integrity
Justice Dattijo invoked the 1999 Constitution, noting that freedom of expression is not without limits.
He referred to particular instances where statements risk harming reputations or undermining institutions.
He also framed his response within his faith, citing Qur’an Chapter 4 (An-Nisa), Verse 135.
The verse enjoins believers to stand firmly for justice, even against themselves or those close to them.
Quoting organizational psychologist Adam Grant, Dattijo stressed that integrity requires loyalty to principles rather than personalities.
He added that judicial reform must be grounded in honesty, restraint, and collective responsibility.
Political Context
The controversy unfolds amid political upheaval in Kano following Governor Abba Yusuf’s defection from the NNPP to the ruling APC.
Yusuf cited internal party crises as reasons for his exit, while Kwankwaso accused him of handing over the NNPP’s mandate to opponents.
Speaking to supporters in a widely circulated video, Kwankwaso revisited the 2019 election crisis.
He described it as unprecedented injustice and recounting alleged visits to Supreme Court justices to salvage Yusuf’s mandate.
Revisiting Kano’s Election Battles
- 2019: The Kano governorship election was declared inconclusive.
After a supplementary poll, APC’s Abdullahi Ganduje was declared winner, a decision upheld by the Supreme Court in January 2020.
- 2023: Yusuf returned to power on the NNPP platform.
His victory was overturned by the tribunal and Court of Appeal.
- 2024: The Supreme Court reinstated Yusuf, faulting the lower courts and restoring cancelled votes.
The judgement was considered a landmark ruling in Nigeria’s 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 clear: claims involving the judiciary must be precise, evidence-based, and responsibly framed.
Failure to do that, they further weaken public trust in an institution already under strain.
