At the federal high court sitting in the nation's capital, Abuja
today, Justice Abdul Kafarati, has officially withdrawn from a
fundamental rights suit filed by Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki to
quash the charges of false declaration of assets brought against him by
federal government at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).
According to the judge, his integrity had been called into question in the matter, hence he would disqualify himself from it.
Having read a report of an online medium accusing him of corruption
to the tune N2 billion, he said that if he ruled against or for Saraki,
his decision would be interpreted differently.
"It is only in this country that people can wake up and start
calling people names. In the circumstance, I disqualify myself from this
case. I will hereby send the case file to the chief judge for
re-assignment to another judge," he said.
It can be recalled that few weeks ago, after the judgment of the
supreme court dismissing Saraki’s appeal to stop his trial, his lawyer,
Ajibola Oloyede filed the lawsuit asking the federal high court to stop
his trial and to disqualify the chairman of the CCT, who is presiding
over the trial.
The senate president couched his prayers in the violation of his
rights to fair hearing by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), which he
said did not invite him for explanation before it filed charges against
him at the CCT.
Court judge, Kafarati had fixed today for judgment on the case, but
instead of delivering the judgment, he announced his withdrawal from
the case.
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