Court declines jurisdiction in El-Rufai’s fundamental rights suit against Kaduna Assembly

The Federal High Court, Kaduna has declined jurisdiction to hear a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed before it by the former governor of the State, Nasir El-Rufai.

The former governor had on June 26, approached the court to challenge the probe report of the Kaduna State House of Assembly which indicted him for alleged misappropriation of N432 billion during his eight years of administration.

El-Rufai had prayed the court to declare the probe report “null and void” having not been given the opportunity of a fair hearing over the allegations levelled against him and his administration by the committee.

Delivering two separate rulings on Friday, Justice R.M. Aikawa dismissed the application, urging him to recuse himself. The judge held that the applicant failed to prove any of the circumstances that would warrant setting aside the proceedings of the court.

The court, therefore, declined jurisdiction on the subject matter and transferred the suit to the Kaduna State Chief Judge for determination by the High Court of the state.