Justice Abdul Kafarati of the federal high court, Abuja, has withdrawn himself from the fundamental rights suit filed by Senate President Bukola Saraki against the Federal Government to quash the charges of false declaration of assets brought against him at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).
The Justice elucidated on the matter stating that his integrity had been called into question in the matter, and he could therefore not continue with the matter.
Kafarati read on a report in an online medium that accused him of corruption to the tune of N2bn. This has led him to believe that whatever ruling he made on the matter would be called into question.
“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. This will delay the case longer as a replacement must now be found to take over the case.
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