By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
The Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna has reserved judgment in the suit filed by Mal. Nasir El-Rufai against Kaduna state House of Assembly (KADHA), seeking nullification of it Ad-hoc committee probe reports.
The Ad-Hoc Committee of the State House of Assembly probe reports, had earlier indicted Ex- Governor Elrufai and his administration of N423 billion fraud allegation.
El-rufai had, in June, 2024 filed a fundamental rights case at the court challenging the house report adding that the house did not give him a fair hearing during its sitting.
In the suit, el-Rufai, through his lawyer, Abdulhakeem Mustapha (SAN) is asking the court to declare the assembly’s report null and void.
During the court session on Thursday, all the respondents in the case including the Kaduna State House of Assembly and the state Attorney General, adopted their respective processes and prayed the court to dismiss the suit.
Counsel to the Kaduna State House of Assembly, which is the first respondent, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, argued that the court lacks jurisdiction to adjudicate on the fundamental rights case filed by El-Rufai or dismiss the report of the Assembly based on its constitutional mandate.
On his part, the Kaduna State Commissioner of Justice, Suleiman Shuaibu, SAN, who’s also a respondent in the suit, filed his preliminary and substantive objections that the court should dismiss the case on the premise that the court lacks jurisdiction to adjudicate on the matter.
He also asked the court to dismiss the substantial suit for lack of cause of action against the Attorney General and for being speculative.
Both respondents further argued that the applicants did not bring the report of the Kaduna State House of Assembly before the Court, which they sought the court to declare as unconstitutional, null and void.
Therefore, they also prayed the court to dismiss the suit in its entirety for lacking in merit.
Plaintiff counsel, Abdulhakeem Mustapha, SAN, was not present in court. However, after listening to the lawyers in the suit, the presiding judge, Justice R.M Aikawa said a date for judgment will be communicated to the parties involved.
