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Senator Adamu Bulkachuwa has offered some clarifications on his controversial confession which saw him admitted to influencing the decisions of his wife, Zainab Bulkachuwa, while she held sway as President of the Appeal Court.
Bulkachuwa, who represented Bauchi North senatorial district in the just-dissolved 9th Assembly, made a howler when he voluntarily confessed to using his spousal influence to pressure his wife for a favour for his colleagues in the Red Chamber.
The Senator said this during a valedictory session presided over by the former Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, on Saturday, June 10, 2023.
“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, and I’m sure…" Bulkachuwa said before he was quickly interrupted by Lawan.
The former Senate President cautioned Bulkachuwa to discontinue that line of thought but he ignored the entreaty and went on to make even more damning claims.
“And I must thank particularly, my wife, whose freedom and independence I encroached upon while she was in office, and she has been very tolerant and accepted my encroachment, and extended her help to my colleagues…,” he further said to a loud murmur from his colleagues present.
His remarks have once again raised questions on judiciary independence in Nigeria as many critics, including the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), called for the prosecution of Justice Bulkachuwa following her husband's confession.
Former President of NBA, Olisa Agbakoba, called for the arrest and prosecution of the former lawmaker as the outrage over his comments continued to rumble.
Senator Bulkachuwa clarifies statement
However, in what appears like an attempt to clear the Augean stable, the Senator said his words were misinterpreted.
Speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa, Bulkachuwa said the former Senate President kept interrupting him while he was trying to explain himself, which further distorted his intended message.
He said, “Well, I was not even allowed to finish, I just started with some words like thanking her, saying she was patient with me as she was legal practitioner and I am a politician.
“I wanted to elaborate on the specific nature of the help she provided, as there exists a wide range of support that professionals in various fields, such as legal practitioners, doctors, or engineers, can offer in their respective roles.
“Note that this assistance does not involve any illegal or unethical activities.
“In my personal relationship with her, I have never imposed upon her professional autonomy or attempted to influence her judgment in handling cases or running her office. Such matters are not even discussed in our home.”