One after the other, the serious legal challenges to the continuation as President of ailing Nigerian leader, Umaru Yar’Adua, were this morning at the Federal High Court in Abuja adjourned by the Chief Judge, Dan Abutu. It all happened one day after the same judge heard a bogus case that was hurriedly filed last week, and determined that the Vice-President does not need a formal transfer of power to "act" as President with Yar'Adua incapacitated.
First to be adjourned today was the case filed by the Nigerian Bar Association. It was followed by the case filed by civil rights attorney Bamidele Aturu on behalf of Honourable Farouk. They were both adjourned by one week, until January 22, for judgment.The third case, filed by West Africa Bar Association president, Mr. Femi Falana, was more eventful, as Mr. Abutu found himself booted by the law to the sidelines.
The case was transferred to another judge as the plaintiffs asked the Chief Judge to recuse himself to avoid likely bias in the handling of the case since he has already given a suspicious judgment yesterday in a similar case before him.In his judgment in that matter, which was filed by hitherto unknown litigants only six days earlier on January 7, courtesy of Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Michael Aondoakaa, the Chief Judge declared that there is no vacancy in the presidency and as such Goodluck Jonathan can only act in those areas where Yar’Adua has delegated authority to him.
