Justice Abdul Kafarati of the federal high court, Abuja,
has withdrawn from a fundamental rights suit filed by
Senate President Bukola Saraki to quash the charges of
false declaration of assets brought against him by the
federal government at the Code of Conduct Tribunal
(CCT).
Kafarati explained that 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 N2bn, 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,” he said.
“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.”
In February, 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.
Kafarati had fixed Tuesday for judgment on the case, but
instead of delivering the judgment, he announced his
withdrawal from the case.
(The Cable)
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