Ministerial screening: Senate received three petitions against Senate Sani Danladi Abubakar

Taraba state minister nominee who incidentally was a former federal lawmaker, Senator Abubakar Sani Danladi was stripped of the privilege of take a bow and go’

The nominee was asked questions, bordering on a Supreme Court pronouncement which barred him from holding public office for 10 years after he was allegedly found culpable for lying on oath. 

Senator Danladi however told the lawmakers that no such pronouncement ever emanated from the apex court.

He said : “The Federal High Court, Jalingo, as at the time I contested for the governorship election, said that because of my age on my certificate, the judge gave a judgement against me. 

“I now took the matter up to the Appeal Court. When we were in the Appeal court, they just struck out the case.

“The same thing, Justice (Mary) Odili said that the Federal High Court Jalingo was wrong to have decided the judgment in that way because when I was Deputy Governor in 2007, then the judgment on that, the same Federal High Court Jalingo used their veto power at that time to rule against me.

“So, from Supreme Court, I had to go back to the Federal High Court Jalingo because the Supreme Court said there was no basis for the Federal High Court Jalingo to do that judgment.

“Then the same jurisdiction of Federal High Court Jalingo and now sat on the same judgment and set aside that judgment that was hanging on me.”

The Senate President Godswill Akpabio who interjected the nominees said Thee Federal High Court Jalingo gave a judgment against you that you were not qualified to contest based on perjury that you lied on oath, in respect of your date of birth than later, that same Federal High Court sat on the same matter and cleared you?

“What we are saying is that the moment the Federal High Court gave the first judgment, the Federal High Court has become ‘Functus Officio’ in law and can no longer sit as an appellate court over the same judgment.

“So, you will send what you need to send and we will study them because it is in the interest of Nigeria and it’s in the public interest.”

Senator Danladi however told the Senate that he is presently at the apex court and that the Supreme Court is yet to give a judgement on the matter.