Confused Billionaire Judge Dumps Saraki’s Case Over Shocking Report

Justice Abdukadir Abdu-Kafarati of a Federal High Court in Abuja today (Tuesday) withdrew from the case filed by the embattled Senate President, Bukola Saraki, seeking an order to stop his trial for false assets declaration before the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

The development followed reports by SR and other media accusing the judge of having been compromised by Saraki, thus stalling the judgment that was to be delivered in the case on Tuesday.

Justice Abdu-Kafarati said his integrity had been maligned by the reports and the honourable thing for him to do was to disqualify himself from the case.

The judge, who copiously quoted the online reports, said he had been caught between two devils.

“If I grant the prayers of the applicant. The reading public will say yes, the judge has been compromised. If I refuse the prayers, they will say the judge has been threatened or intimidated.

“The most honourable thing for me to do is to disqualify myself from this case. I hereby disqualify myself from this case and the file is returned to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for re-assignment.”

Justice Abdul-Kafarati had on March 1, heard and fixed Tuesday for judgment in Saraki’s case.

The judgment was to come on the heel of an earlier verdict of the Supreme Court which had on February 5 validated the Senate President’s trial before the CCT.

Incidentally, the CCT has fixed this Thursday to deliver its ruling on Saraki’s new application challenging the validity of the charges and the tribunal’s jurisdiction to entertain the case.

When will all these drama about jurisdiction end and the real trial begin?