Justice Obiora Egwuatu of a Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday, recused himself from the suit filed by Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and others.
The suit is seeking to stop the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions from going ahead with the disciplinary proceedings over alleged misconduct by Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Justice Egwuatu announced his withdrawal from the case over allegations of bias levelled against the court by Akpabio, who is the 3rd defendant in the matter.
When the matter was called on Tuesday, the judge, after taking the appearance of lawyers for the parties in the suit, announced his decision to withdraw from the case.
He cited the allegation as the major reason for his decision.
It was gathered that the senate president had expressed lack of confidence in the ability of the court to do justice on the matter, hence the reason for the development.
The judge subsequently ordered that the case file be remitted back to the Chief Judge, Justice John Tsoho, for reassignment
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Egwuatu had, on March 19, set aside its order of March 4, declaring the suspension of Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan by the Senate as null and void.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu, in a ruling, vacated the suit after listening to the arguments of counsel for the plaintiff and lawyers to the defendants in the suit.
NAN observes that though the court had earlier fixed today for the hearing of the matter, March 19 was however, rescheduled to take the motion on notice filed by the Senate (2nd defendant) to seek for the order vacating the March 4 order which declared any action taken by the defendants during the pendency of the suit as null, void and of no effect whatsoever.
The judge had granted Natasha’s five reliefs on March 4, including Order Number Four which declared any action taken by the defendants during the pendency of the suit as null, void and of no effect whatsoever.
