Bulkachuwa Files Complaint to Stop Investigation After Receiving ICPC Invitation for Admitted Judicial Interference
A former Nigerian senator, Adamu Bulkachuwa, who confessed to influencing the decisions of his wife, a retired Court of Appeal judge, has approached the court to stop her possible investigation and arrest.
Mr. Bulkachuwa filed the complaint at the Federal High Court in Abuja after receiving an invitation from the ICPC and three days before he was due to appear before the anti-corruption agency's investigative team. /p>
Mr. Bulkachuwa, who represented the Bauchi North Senatorial District in the former 9th National Assembly, shocked many when he admitted to trampling on his wife's freedom and independence when she was President of the Court call.
The 83-year-old former senator, who served as an All Progressives Congress (APC) senator between June 2019 and June 2023, has bragged about having, on different occasions, influenced his wife's decisions to benefit many of his Senate colleagues.< /p>
Ms Bulkachuwa served as President of the Court of Appeal between 2014 and 2020 and retired after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70.
“My wife, whose freedom and independence I encroached on while she was in office, and she was very tolerant and accepted my encroachment and helped my colleagues,” said Mr. Bulkachuwa during the farewell session of the 9th Senate on June 10.
Mr. Bulkachuwa later said his comment was taken out of context because then-Senate President Ahmad Lawan did not allow him to finish his thoughts.
His wife, Zainab Bulkachuwa, also said she never compromised her oath of office, contrary to her husband's comments suggesting she had acted unethically on numerous occasions.
Following the outrage following the revelation, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) called on the police and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) to investigate Mr. Bulkachuwa.
In accordance with its mandate to investigate corrupt practices, the ICPC opened an investigation and invited the senator for questioning.
But ICPC sources informed our reporter that after receiving the invitation from ICPC, Mr. Bulkachuwa, through his lawyer, Donald Ajibowu, wrote to the agency to report his appearance on July 6.
He anchored his claim on ill health.
But three days before the rescheduled date, Mr. Bulkachuwa filed a complaint in the Federal High Court in Abuja, urging him to bar the ICPC from investigating him, PREMIUM TIMES said.
>He named the Attorney General of the Federation, the Clerk of the National Assembly, the State Security Service (SSS), the ICPC and the Nigerian Police as accused.
SuitIn the complaint filed on July 3, the senator sought "judicial interpretation of section 1 of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act 2017, which grants him immunity from civil litigation or penalty for any statement he makes on the floor of the Senate in his capacity as a sitting senator."
A former Nigerian senator, Adamu Bulkachuwa, who confessed to influencing the decisions of his wife, a retired Court of Appeal judge, has approached the court to stop her possible investigation and arrest.
Mr. Bulkachuwa filed the complaint at the Federal High Court in Abuja after receiving an invitation from the ICPC and three days before he was due to appear before the anti-corruption agency's investigative team. /p>
Mr. Bulkachuwa, who represented the Bauchi North Senatorial District in the former 9th National Assembly, shocked many when he admitted to trampling on his wife's freedom and independence when she was President of the Court call.
The 83-year-old former senator, who served as an All Progressives Congress (APC) senator between June 2019 and June 2023, has bragged about having, on different occasions, influenced his wife's decisions to benefit many of his Senate colleagues.< /p>
Ms Bulkachuwa served as President of the Court of Appeal between 2014 and 2020 and retired after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70.
“My wife, whose freedom and independence I encroached on while she was in office, and she was very tolerant and accepted my encroachment and helped my colleagues,” said Mr. Bulkachuwa during the farewell session of the 9th Senate on June 10.
Mr. Bulkachuwa later said his comment was taken out of context because then-Senate President Ahmad Lawan did not allow him to finish his thoughts.
His wife, Zainab Bulkachuwa, also said she never compromised her oath of office, contrary to her husband's comments suggesting she had acted unethically on numerous occasions.
Following the outrage following the revelation, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) called on the police and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) to investigate Mr. Bulkachuwa.
In accordance with its mandate to investigate corrupt practices, the ICPC opened an investigation and invited the senator for questioning.
But ICPC sources informed our reporter that after receiving the invitation from ICPC, Mr. Bulkachuwa, through his lawyer, Donald Ajibowu, wrote to the agency to report his appearance on July 6.
He anchored his claim on ill health.
But three days before the rescheduled date, Mr. Bulkachuwa filed a complaint in the Federal High Court in Abuja, urging him to bar the ICPC from investigating him, PREMIUM TIMES said.
>He named the Attorney General of the Federation, the Clerk of the National Assembly, the State Security Service (SSS), the ICPC and the Nigerian Police as accused.
SuitIn the complaint filed on July 3, the senator sought "judicial interpretation of section 1 of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act 2017, which grants him immunity from civil litigation or penalty for any statement he makes on the floor of the Senate in his capacity as a sitting senator."
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