Judge withdraws from Saraki's suit to stop trial

By Fredrick Nwabufo (The Cable)

Justice Abdul Kafarati of the federal high court, Abuja, has withdrawn from a fundamental rights suit filed by Senate President Bukola Saraki to quash the charges of false declaration of assets brought against him by the federal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.