Nnamdi Kanu go fit stop im Judgement Day?

Di leader of di Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob), Nnamdi Kanu, don carry im mata go appeal court to stop di judgement wey di Federal High Court bin don fix to hapun on November 20, 2025.

For di appeal document wey BBC News Pidgin see, wey di date na 10 November 2025, na Kanu imsef sign am sake of say na im dey defend imsef for di mata afta e ask im former lawyers to withdraw.

Justice Omotosho of di Federal High Court bin fix November 20 to deliver judgement for di terrorism trial wey di Nigeria govment sama on top Nnamdi Kanu, but di Ipob leader maintain say di court no get jurisdiction to try am, and say di charges against am no dey based on any valid law for Nigeria.

Inside di appeal document, Kanu say na three tins e dey challenge:

Kanu claim say despite di question of jurisdiction wey e lay before di court, di trial judge refuse to rule on am.

E also tok say, "di trial court no gree to evaluate di evidence of di prosecution witnesses vis-a-vis di cross-examination questions to determine weda di evidence dey discredited under cross-examination".

Di Ipob leader say im bin don file a list of witnesses and e indicate say e dey ready to start im defence if di court go first determine di issue of jurisdiction wey im raise, but di judge no gree listen instead e rule say im don waive im defence.

"If dis application no dey granted," Kanu tok for di appeal document, "di defendant fit dey unlawfully convicted without di opportunity to know di validity of di counts, di jurisdiction of di trial court and offering defence on di merit."

So Kanu ask di appeal court to give order make di Federal High Court hold on wit di judgement wey e bin wan deliver, until di appeal don dey determined.

If not, e go "cause irreparable damage to me as di applicant," Kanu tok.

Judgement go hold or not?

One of Nnamdi Kanu former lawyers tell BBC News Pidgin say di Court of Appeal neva fix a date to hear dis application.

Di counsel wey plead anonymity bicos e no longer dey legally recognised as Kanu counsel, explain say if di appeal court grant di application, e mean say di proposed judgement no go get head, but if dem no grant am, di trial court go go ahead and deliver judgment.

"But as long as say motion don dey filed to stay proceedings for di trial court, di judgement no fit go through until dem don hear di motion," e tok.

However, anoda legal practitioner say di process wey Kanu file for di appeal court no go affect di delivery of di judgement.

Dis lawyer wey also ask to remain anonymous say di Court of Appeal no fit grant a stay of proceedings bicos e no dey based on any specific pronouncement or ruling or judgement of di trial court.

About di no-case submission wey Kanu dey appeal, di lawyer say di time don pass to appeal am, "unless Kanu go ask for di leave of di court to appeal am".

Remember say di ruling on di no-case submission na on 26 September, 2025.

According to di website of di Court of Appeal for Nigeria, pesin "get 14 days to appeal an interlocutory decision and 90 days to appeal final decision".

Di lawyer wey follow our tori pesin tok explain say dis appeal wey Kanu file now na interlocutory appeal, therefore, di time to file am don pass since.

Also, checks by BBC News Pidgin show say section 306 of di Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015 tok say "application for stay of proceedings in respect of a criminal mata before di court no go dey entertained."

"E dey understandable say Kanu go file dis kind appeal, bicos im no be lawyer, but e show say di lawyers wey dey advice am no know wetin dem dey do," di legal practitioner tell our tori pesin.