A former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to probe Senator Adamu Muhammad Bulkachuwa over his suggestion that he obtained favours from his wife on behalf of his fellow senators.
Bulkachuwa’s wife, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa (retd.), is the immediate past President of the Court of Appeal (PCA).
The lawmaker, in a video clip which surfaced yesterday, spoke at the valedictory session of the Ninth Senate.
Bulkachuwa claimed that he encroached on his wife’s “freedom and independence” in the course of her official duties as head of the second highest judicial office in Nigeria.
According to him, his wife did not rebuff him.
But immediate past Senate President Ahmad Lawan quickly interrupted and dissuaded the senator from continuing his speech.
Senator Bulkachuwa was elected to represent Bauchi North in 2019.
He said: “…Particularly, my wife, whose freedom and independence were encroached upon when she was in office. She has been tolerant and accepted my encroachment and extended it to my colleagues.”
Stopping him from continuing, Lawan, said he did not think it was appropriate for the senator to make such comment.
“Distinguished Senator, I don’t think that is the right route to go,” Lawan said.
Condemning the incident in a post on his Twitter handle, Agbakoba described the senator’s statement as a “monumental disgrace” which needed to be probed.
He said: “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. I represented Usman Tuggar in relation to disputed elections between him and Senator Bulkachuwa for Bauchi North senatorial. We lost in three courts.”
He advised President Tinubu to cleanse the Judiciary.
Agbakoba said: “Senator Bulkachuwa seems to suggest why President Bola Tinubu @officialABAT must cleanse the system in a most dramatic and fundamental process, if he wishes to succeed.”
Justice Bulkachuwa bowed out of the Bench in March 2020 after attaining the mandatory retirement age of 70 years for justices of the Appeal Court.
The former PCA told The Nation and other journalists at a valedictory service in her honour in Lagos that she kept her husband’s politics and political career out of her home.
She said this helped her to guard against being influenced by politicians.
The retire Justice Bulkachuwa said: “My husband is a politician, but politics is a no-go area in the house. Even my children are aware of that. No politician is invited to the house. My husband can pursue whatever he wants to pursue as a politician, but we hardly discuss politics in the house. All these help to guard against any influence from any politician.”
Agbakoba also alluded to a recent comment by National Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) Chairman AbdulHakeem AbdulLateef on why President Tinubu needs to act fast.
Abdullateef alleged on June 12 that former President Muhammadu Buhari signed a doctored NDIC Bill hours before leaving office.
He said the new law contains 35 sections that were hitherto not in the Bill that was passed by the National Assembly.
Reacting to the claim, Agbakoba said: “The chairman of @NDICNigeria has also made dramatic revelations pointing to possible deep rot in our systems of government, which is responsible for financial and monetary policy.
“The President ought to act now.”
