The Federal High Court in Kaduna, under Justice R.M. Aikawa, has opted not to take jurisdiction over the lawsuit filed by former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai.
El-Rufai sought to overturn the Adhoc Committee report of the Kaduna State House of Assembly and other related reliefs.
Justice Aikawa issued two separate rulings before the final judgment, noting that El-Rufai failed to demonstrate any conditions that would justify overturning the court’s authority.
The request for the judge to recuse himself was also dismissed due to a lack of substantial grounds or supporting evidence from the applicant, as established by existing legal precedents.
Instead of dismissing or striking out the case as requested by the respondents’ legal teams, the court decided to transfer the case to the High Court of Kaduna State.
This move follows the provisions under Section 22(2) of the Federal High Court Act, directing the case to the Chief Judge of Kaduna State for further adjudication.
Counsel for the 1st respondent included Femi Falana, SAN, and Sani Katu, SAN, while Sule Shuaibu, SAN, Attorney General of Kaduna State, and Jummai Danazumi, Esq., represented the 2nd respondent.
Following the ruling, some legal professionals hailed the decision as a reinforcement of the rule of law and the judiciary’s independence, asserting that it underscores the court’s commitment to maintaining judicial integrity despite external pressures.
