A lawyer representing the dismissed Resident Electoral Commissioner of Adamawa State, Ari Hudu, was sentenced to prison on Thursday for contempt of court.
Justice Benjamin Manji of the Adamawa State High Court in Yola found M.K. Tijjani guilty of insolence and dishonorable conduct that undermined the integrity of the court.
Hudu is currently facing trial for his controversial declaration of Aishatu Binani as the winner of the 2023 Adamawa governorship election—a decision later overturned by the Independent National Electoral Commission, which officially declared Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party as the winner.
At the court’s resumed hearing, Tijjani refused to announce his appearance when the case was called, turning his face away in defiance.
When Justice Manji insisted that he announce his presence, Tijjani responded curtly, stating that he was not a party to the case and had only held brief for another lawyer in a previous session.
The judge, angered by Tijjani’s disrespectful demeanor and defiant utterances, ordered him to remove his legal robe and step into the witness box to explain why he should not be held in contempt of court.
However, Tijjani maintained his insolent attitude while in the witness box, prompting the court to sentence him to prison for contempt.
This was not Tijjani’s first clash with the court. During an earlier proceeding on January 23, 2025, he was caught attempting to record the court session on his mobile phone.
When the judge ordered him to stop, Tijjani defiantly refused, declaring: “Nobody will stop me from recording the proceedings.”
Despite being reminded that recording court proceedings was not permitted, he insisted:“There is no law prohibiting lawyers from recording court proceedings with their mobile phones. Nobody can stop me.”
It took the intervention of the prosecution counsel, Chief Leonard Nzadon, to calm the situation and appeal to the judge for restraint.
Following the latest courtroom altercation, Tijjani was immediately taken to Jimeta Maximum Prison to serve his sentence.
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