Judge recuses self from Natasha Akpoti’s case over bias allegation

Obiora Egwuatu, a judge at the federal high court in Abuja, has announced his recusal from the suit filed by Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, senator representing Kogi central.

Egwuatu on Tuesday disclosed that his decision was because of allegation of bias against him by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

The suit was filed by the Kogi senator to stop the senate committee on ethics and public petitions from instituting disciplinary proceedings against her.

On March 4, the judge had issued an order restraining the senate from commencing disciplinary proceedings against Akpoti-Uduaghan following an ex parte application filed by counsels to the senator.

CASE TO BE REASSIGNED

The judge announced his decision to recuse himself from the case after taking the appearance of lawyers for the parties in the suit.

Egwuatu ordered that the case file be transferred to John Tsoho, the chief judge of the federal high court, for reassignment.

The defendants in the application are the clerk of the national assembly, the senate, senate president, and the chairman of the senate committee on ethics.

The judge had ruled that the defendants should come and show cause within 72 hours, upon the service of the order, why an interlocutory injunction should not be issued against them.

Forty-eight hours after the judgment, the senate suspended the Kogi senator for six months.

The decision followed the adoption of the report by the committee.

The red chamber had approved that her office should be locked, and she must hand over all senate properties in her possession to the clerk of the national assembly for the duration of the suspension.

On March 19, Egwuatu vacated his March 4 order restraining the senate from suspending the Kogi senator.