Lamido challenges transfer of his suit from Justice Ademola

• Court dismisses Tambuwal’s bid to stop nomination process

Former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, has challenged the transfer of his case from the court of Justice Adeniyi Ademola to that of B. O. Quadri in Abuja.The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had written to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, that the case be transferred to another court.

In the letter, the EFCC said: “It will not be in the interest of justice for the case to be transferred back to the Court of Justice Ademola for continuation, because of the negative impressions that the public may have about the outcome. Ademola may be under intense pressure which may affect his sense of judgment.”

The EFCC had in 2015, arraigned Lamido and his two sons, Aminu and Mustapha before Justice Ademola in Abuja, on a 27-count charge bordering on alleged abuse of office and money laundering.

But the counsel to Lamido, Joe Agi, in a written address in support of a motion on notice, queried the re-assignment of the suit to Justice Quari on seven grounds.According to him, 18 of the 20 witnesses lined against Lamido had already testified in the suit, adding that the case could not begin afresh.

“Under Section 98 (2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, the transfer of cases in criminal trials are not done as a matter of course,” Agi said. Justice Quadri, after taking arguments, adjourned the suit till May 3 for hearing.

Meanwhile, a Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed the application by Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, to reject the suit challenging his nomination as the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

The presiding judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole accepted that the processes filed by Senator Umaru Dahiru and another aspirant against Tambuwal were competent.The APC’s counsel, Mr. Jibrin Okutepa and Sunday Ibrahim Ameh (SAN), had opposed the originating summons at the commencement of sitting.

They also argued that the new counsel, Roland Otaro, was not on record to replace Prof. Awa Kalu, as the plaintiff’s original counsel.But Otaro explained that he was in court to hold brief for Kalu.

Justice Kolawole, in his ruling, recalled that the Supreme Court had in December 2016 directed that the case be given an accelerated hearing in the interest of justice to both parties.The judge thereafter fixed hearing on the suit for May 23, 2017.