Odinkalu Criticizes Senator Bulkachuwa’s Confession, Calling It “More Than A Scandal”

On June 10, Bulkachuwa, a senior member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), admitted to violating his wife’s “freedom and independence” as a judge during the 9th Senate’s final session.

Professor Chidi Odinkalu, a human rights advocate and attorney, disputed Senator Adamu Bulkachuwa’s assertion that his wife, Justice Zainab, was subjected to pressure from him while she presided over the Court of Appeal.

On June 10, Bulkachuwa, a senior member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), admitted to violating his wife’s “freedom and independence” as a judge during the 9th Senate’s final session.

Since then, he has drawn criticism from a wide range of Nigerians and organizations, with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) calling for an investigation into the lawmaker who served as the senatorial representative for the Bauchi North senatorial district in the ninth Senate as well as the potential prosecution of that individual.

Odinkalu, a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today, described the senator’s comments as more than just scandalous in his response to them.

“Obviously, there have been many responses to what he said on the Senate floor, but the real issue is what actually happened,” he said.

“It is beyond a scandal if what he claimed actually occurred. In its meeting yesterday, the National Judicial Council somehow avoided addressing that specific incident, saying nothing about it.

Unconstitutional Statement

The NBA’s response to Bulkachuwa’s statement from last Saturday also drew a response from Odinkalu.

In a statement released on Wednesday, NBA President Yakubu Maikyau noted that the senator’s comments from the viral video clip clearly admitted that he had attempted to pervert the course of justice or had actually interfered with the proper administration of justice. This made the senator subject to investigation and prosecution even after his admission.

He added that it “can only be an understatement” to say that this had a significant negative impact on the independence and integrity of the judiciary.

Odinkalu, who contends that the NBA President lacks the authority to speak on behalf of the NJC, called the NBA President’s response scandalous.

“The Nigerian Bar Association President then issued this scandalous statement, in my opinion, in which he purported to speak on behalf of the National Judicial Council, which he does not have to do as he is neither the presiding officer nor the spokesperson,” he continued.

The National Judicial Council reportedly denounced Senator Bulkachuwa’s actions, according to the speech he is giving to us. It is unclear, though, exactly what Senator Bulkachuwa did or what they are condemning.