Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court Abuja has withdrawn from adjudicating in a legal action instituted by five senators to challenge the election of Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki as Senate President and Ike Ekwremadu as Deputy Senate President.
The case was withdrawn from Justice Ademola by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Ndahi Auta following a petition from the Deputy Senate President Senator Ike Ekweremadu against Justice Ademola.
In his place, the Chief Judge has appointed Justice Steven Evoh Chukwu who would commence hearing into the matter afresh.
Ekweremadu had in a petition claimed he would not receive justice from him on the strength of his relationship with power bloc in Lagos who , he alleged would be biased and deeply interested outsiders in the case.
In the petition to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Mahmood Mohammed, Senator Ekweremadu claimed that the wife of Justice Ademola Mrs. Tolulope was hurriedly appointed the Head of Service by Lagos State Government as part of alleged measure to make Justice Ademola compromise in the case before him.
The Deputy Senate President insisted that the external influence from Lagos will rob him of justice if Justice Ademola was allowed to make pronouncement in the matter and demanded that the CJN disqualify him from going ahead with the case.
Although the case has been slated for judgment, the Chief Judge of the FHC was said to have withdrawn the case from Justice Ademola so that the interest of justice would be better served.
At the final adoption of brief of argument early this year, Saraki had told the court that he did not violate any law or breach any rule in the election that produced him as Senate President in June last year contrary to the claims against him by some aggrieved senators.
Saraki told the court that he was returned un-opposed in the election by majority of the Senators present on the Election Day in the upper chamber following his due nomination and endorsement for the office.
In his preliminary objection to a legal action instituted against him and his deputy, Saraki said the election being challenged by five senators was free, fair and transparent by all standards and also conformed with the best practice of the world.
The Senate President, who argued in the court through his counsel Mr. Kayode Eleja SAN, had asked Justice Ademola to dismiss the court action against him and five others for being abuse of court process, frivolous and unwarranted.