Adamu Bulkachuwa, Senator who represented Bauchi North in the 9th Assembly, has denied influencing the decisions of his wife, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, while she was President of the Court of Appeal.
Bulkachuwa had at the Senate valedictory session of the 9th Assembly claimed that he used his position to ask favour for his colleagues from his wife.
According to him: “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, and I’m sure…
“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….”
He would have continued but was interrupted by then Senate President, Ahmad Lawan.
But Bulkachuwa told BBC Hausa in an interview aired on Saturday that his words were misrepresented, adding that it was the former President of the Senate interruption while he was speaking that led to the misrepresentation.
He said in the interview: “Well, I was not even allowed to finish, I just started with some words like thanking her, saying she was patient with me as she was legal practitioner and I am a politician.
“I wanted to elaborate on the specific nature of the help she provided, as there exists a wide range of support that professionals in various fields, such as legal practitioners, doctors, or engineers, can offer in their respective roles.
“Note that this assistance does not involve any illegal or unethical activities.
“In my personal relationship with her, I have never imposed upon her professional autonomy or attempted to influence her judgment in handling cases or running her office. Such matters are not even discussed in our home.”
Bulkachuwa’s comment had elicited outrage, with Olisa Agbakoba, former President of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), calling for the arrest of the former lawmaker.
“Senator Bulkachuwa’s statement at the valedictory of the 9th senate is a monumental disgrace for our institutions. This man deserves to be taken up immediately by the authorities. It is a blight on my confidence in our systems.
“We lost in 3 courts. Senator Bulkachuwa seems to suggest why.” Agbakoba had said in a statement.