The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA has formally requested the Independent Corrupt Practice and Other Related Offenses Commission, ICPC, and police to investigate and prosecute Senator Adamu Bulkachuwa for the perversion of justice. This followed his confession during a valedictory session of the National Assembly while winding down last week Saturday; the senator disclosed how he helped his colleagues secure justice in their favor when his wife, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa was serving as Appeal Court President.
Mr. Bulkachuwa served as Senator representing Bauchi North in the red chamber between 2015 to 2023 under the All Progressive Party, APC.
Consequently, the NBA while reacting to the viral video where the senator made the statement, the NBA president, Yakubu Maikyau, has called for the prosecution of Mr Bulkachuwa by the anti-graft agency and the Nigerian police.
The NBA president yesterday and Thursday vowed to formally approach the ICPC and the police to prosecute the senator.
Maikyau said, “Further to my Statement of 14 June 2023, I wish to inform you that I have, today, written letters to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), requesting for the immediate investigation and prosecution of Senator Adamu Muhammad Bulkachuwa for the admissions/confessions he made in his valedictory remarks.”
He promised to keep Nigerian updated “on further developments in the matter,” and restated NBA’s avowed commitment to “continue with our fight for the enthronement of the rule of law and the defense of the integrity and independence of the Judiciary in Nigeria.”
According to the NBA president, the confession of the senator of helping his colleagues through his wife while serving as the Appeal Court President “were clearly admissions by the Senator, that he did attempt to, and/or actually perverted the course of justice/interfered with the due administration of justice…”
He added that his singular act “makes him liable to be investigated and prosecuted even on his admission.”
NBA reaction came days after the senator made the confession on Saturday during the valedictory session of the 9th Assembly where the video of the confession went viral the following day, Monday where in the video Mr. Bulkachuwa was saying, “I look at faces in this chamber whom have come to me and sought for my help when my wife was the President of the Court of Appeal.”
His speech that the Senate president Ahmed Lawan, who was presiding over the meeting had to interrupt to stop him.
In the video, Bulkachuwa concluded, “And I must thank particularly, 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…”
Zainab Bulkachuwa, the wife to the Senator retired as the president of the Court of Appeal in the year 2020 many Nigerian believed that her influence in the judiciary, especially in the election petition tribunal was next to the Chief Justice of the federation.
As the President of the Court of Appeal, she had the sole responsibility to constitute all tribunals and courts that adjudicated all election petitions that arose from the 2019 general elections, including the presidential poll.
She had the absolute power to reconstitute a panel of tribunal members in every deserving situation.
The Court of Appeal, which Mrs. Bulkachuwa superintended during the time her husband said he secured her help to the advantage of many of his colleagues in the Senate, is the final arbiter on state House of Assembly and National Assembly elections.