16 July, 2026.
A court has spoken.
In another 7 months, the people of Kebbi will speak.
The Federal High Court in Abuja has delivered its judgment on the forfeiture of 48 properties after 7 months of legal proceedings. The judgment deserves respect, and like every litigant, those affected have a constitutional right to appeal.
But while the legal process continues, another process is already underway—one that will ultimately shape the future of Kebbi State.
It is called democracy.
Unlike a courtroom, the court of public opinion has no judge, no gavel, and no walls. Its jurisdiction stretches from Argungu to Zuru, from Yauri to Birnin Kebbi. Its judges are the people themselves, and their verdict cannot be appealed, delayed, or overturned.
That is the judgment that matters most.
The court ruled on property. It did not—and could not—rule on public memory, political conviction, or the aspirations of millions of Kebbi citizens. Buildings can be forfeited. Public trust cannot.
As important as this legal dispute may be, it should not distract Kebbi from confronting the issues that truly define its future.
The greatest crisis facing the state is not about 48 properties some of which were sited for the educational and hospitality benefit of the state and generation of employment.
It is about its children.
According to available data, 67.6% of children between the ages of 6 and 15 are out of school—the highest rate in Nigeria. Only 38% attend school. Even more alarming, 95% cannot read a simple paragraph, while 94% cannot solve basic arithmetic.
These are not abstract statistics. They represent thousands of young lives whose futures are steadily slipping away.
The healthcare picture is equally troubling.
Doctors Without Borders reported a 74.1% increase in admissions for severe acute malnutrition between January and June last year. Nearly 25,000 children required inpatient therapeutic feeding in just 5 months, while more than 100,000 others relied on outpatient nutrition programmes to survive.
UNICEF estimates that approximately 130,000 children under the age of 5 could face severe acute malnutrition this year if urgent interventions are not implemented.
Those figures should dominate public debate.
Instead, political attention risks becoming consumed by a court judgment while the humanitarian crisis continues largely unchanged.
That would be a profound mistake.
The election scheduled for early next year is bigger than any individual, any lawsuit, or any court ruling. It is fundamentally a referendum on governance.
At moments like this, movements are tested. This is the time for unity of purpose and unity of action. Those who believe in the vision of Abubakar Malami must remain focused, disciplined, and resolute. They must resist distraction, confront every challenge, dare every political obstacle, and carry their message to every town, every village, and every household across Kebbi State. Elections are not won in courtrooms; they are won through organization, persuasion, sacrifice, and the collective determination of ordinary citizens.
The people of Kebbi must ask difficult questions.
Why does a state blessed with enormous agricultural potential continue to struggle with some of Nigeria's worst education and child nutrition indicators?
Why are so many communities still without adequate healthcare, clean water, quality schools, and economic opportunities?
Why has insecurity continued to undermine farming and rural livelihoods?
These—not legal proceedings—are the questions that deserve the greatest public attention.
Supporters of Abubakar Malami point to schools, healthcare facilities, water projects, and other infrastructure developed during his years in public office as evidence of his leadership philosophy. Critics are equally entitled to assess that record differently.
Ultimately, that comparison belongs not to the courts, but to the voters.
Democracy works best when citizens evaluate competing records, competing visions, and competing ideas before casting their ballots.
That moment is approaching.
History reminds us that courtroom victories and political victories are not always the same. Judicial decisions determine legal rights. Elections determine political legitimacy.
In 7 months, the people of Kebbi will exercise the highest authority granted by the Constitution—the power to choose who governs them.
That decision should be based neither on emotion nor distraction, but on evidence, performance, competence, and the future the people wish to build.
The legal case has reached one milestone.
The political journey is only beginning.
From this moment until the people cast their ballots, there should be only one objective: remain united, remain focused, and remain committed to the task ahead. Every conversation, every meeting, every campaign, and every effort should be directed toward one goal—to persuade the people of Kebbi that a better future is possible.
There should be no division. There should be no complacency. Above all, there should be no distractions until Abubakar Malami enters the Government House through the freely expressed mandate of the people.
When election day arrives, Kebbi's most important court will finally convene.
Its judges will be ordinary citizens.
Its ballots will be its verdict.
And whatever decision they reach will become the only judgment that truly defines the future of Kebbi.
This article is an opinion piece. The views expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of any political party, candidate, campaign, or organization.
Mohammed Bello Doka can be reached via [email protected]
Abuja Network News
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