I never influenced my wife’s decisions as a Judge – Bulkachuwa

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Senator Adamu Bulkachuwa, a former member from Bauchi North in the 9th Senate, has denied interfering with his wife’s duties as President of the Court of Appeal.

Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa served as President the Court of Appeal from 2014 to 2020.

Addressing the 9th Senate led by Ahmad Lawan on Saturday, Bulkachuwa said, “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.”

Senator Bulkachuwa came under criticism when he openly said that used his position to solicit favours on behalf of his friends while she was President of Nigeria’s court of appeal.

However, speaking with BBC Hausa, the former senator said the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan did not allow him to finish his thoughts.

“Well, I was not even allowed to finish up, I just began by thanking her. She tolerated me, I am in politics while she was in law.

“The favours I solicited from her, it was her nature to help people. I didn’t even explain what can of help I was referring to, every employee whether lawyer, engineer or doctor can render assistance in their work. Assistance doesn’t mean that you contravene the law or do something wrong,” he said.

According to Bulkachuwa, there is no truth in the allegations levelled against him of interfering with his wife’s job.

He added, “The way we lived, I never suggested to her how to do things, how to go about her cases or how to run her office. we don’t even discuss such things at home.”

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to immediately invite Senator Bulkachuwa for interrogation and proceed to prosecute him accordingly.

In a statement on Wednesday, the NBA President Yakubu Maikyau, noted that the viral video clip of the comments made by the senator were clearly admissions that he did attempt to and/or actually perverted the course of justice/interfered with due administration of justice, which makes him liable to be investigated and prosecuted even on his admission.

The association also said “that this came with a huge negative impact on the integrity and the independence of the Judiciary can only be an understatement”.