The Coalition for Protection of Democracy has urged the National Judicial Council (NJC) to review all decisions taken by the former President of Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, following the confession of her husband, Senator Adamu Muhammad Bulkachuwa.
Adamu Bulkachuwa, who was the Senator representing Bauchi North in the ninth National Assembly, had during the valedictory session confessed that he influenced judicial decisions in favour of some senators while his wife was President of the Court of Appeal.
The senator had said: “My wife, whose freedom and independence I encroached upon while (she) was in office, and she has been very tolerant and accepted my encroachment and extended her help to my colleagues”.
In a statement on Tuesday by its National Coordinator of the Coalition for Protection of Democracy, Mr. Daniel Elombah described Bulkachuwa’s confession as a “monumental embarrassment” to the judicial arm of government, regarded as the last hope of the common man.
The group said that the NJC must review all the decisions made by the Court of Appeal on election matters under the leadership of Justice Bulkachuwa, especially those connected directly or indirectly with the ruling All Progressives Congress.
“We are shocked following the voluntary confession of former Senator Adamu Bulkachuwa, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, who represented Bauchi North in the ninth National Assembly, during the valedictory session in the Senate chambers, that he helped some senators by influencing decisions of his wife when she was the President of the Court of Appeal.
“The confession is a monumental embarrassment to the judicial arm of government, which is the last hope of the common man.
“Keeping quiet on this matter by the National Judicial Council will not do any good for the judicial arm of government in this country.
“We, therefore, ask the NJC to review all decisions made by the Court of Appeal on election matters connected directly or indirectly to APC. And if it is found that there are merits to the confession made by her husband on national TV, Justice Bulkachuwa’s retirement should be converted to dismissal and all those decisions overturned”.
Justice Bulkachuwa retired from active service on her 70th birthday, on 6th March 2020, and a valedictory court session in her honour was held on the eve of her retirement.
The National Publicity Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Akorede Lawal described Bulkachuwa’s statement as devastating but that the NBA had yet to take a position on the matter.
Lawal said: “The comment is quite sensitive and the association is devastated by it, but whatever reaction that will be given, will have to be a holistic reaction and the NBA President is the best person to react to this”.
In a statement on Tuesday, a former NBA President, Chief Olisa Agbakoba, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria said, “This man deserves to be taken up immediately by the authorities. It is a blight on my confidence in our systems”.
