By Comfort Obi

It is hard to know what happened to Senator Adamu Bulkachuwa. Or what pushed him. Was it God? Or was it the much abused  devil? Was the Senator drunk? Or, has dementia set in? The man is 83 years old, so it’s possible. Some people  develop denentia earlier than that age.

It is easy to attribute Senator Bulkachuwa’s monumental scandal to God. You know, that God wanted to expose him and his wife, the otherwise highly respected former President of the Court of Appeal, the beautiful Honourable Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa; that God wanted to confirm, through him, what many people had always thought of the Nigeria Judiciary; Why some judgements foisted on us by some Courts  “passeth all understanding.”

Not a few Nigerians, especially, politicians, had expressed shock at some of the judgements and rulings given by our Courts. They attribute such judgements to corruption, and say “they were purchased.” But each time, I always was in sympathy with the Judges. I say: “Eh, Politicians, when they win, they praise the Judges, but when they lose, they accuse the Judges of corruption.”  Now, this man has shaken my faith, and I am left confused, and wondering.

The devil itself must have pushed Bulkachuwa. Otherwise how could a man at that level descend to the level he did on the floor of the Senate, on his last day as a serving Senator?

Here’s his story, in case you missed it.

It was at the Senate’s Valedictory Session. Each Senator was given the opportunity to talk. Some made sense. A couple of them were emotional. The then Chief Whip of the Senate, Orji Uzor Kalu, who Nigeria has given all, carried the cake for emotional outburst. Kalu  burst into tears while speaking, and accused Nigeria of being unfair to him. True?  But this is a story for another day. His tears pale before the  Bulkachuwa’s scandal.

Microphone in hand, standing upright, handsome even at old age, Bulkachuwa made an  unbelievable confession. He told us he was not a clean man. He told us that as the President of the Court of Appeal, his wife was not clean either, that through her, he influenced judgements. He confessed that both of them corrupted the Judiciary by rigging judgements. He confessed that both of them compromised Court rulings and judgements. He confessed that he was the conduit pipe through which his Colleagues reached his wife,  the President of the Court of Appeal, for favorable judgments.

While addressing his colleagues, he thanked, “Particularly my wife, whose freedom and independence I encroached upon when she was in office, and she has been very tolerant and accepted my encroachment  and extended help to my colleagues.”

Bulkachuwa could have said more, but a very embarrassed immediate past Senate President, Dr Ahmad Lawan, shut him up.

I watched and listened to him in shock, my mouth covered with my hands to stop me from screaming. I was in a place where no such uncivilized behavior is allowed. They wouldn’t understand my Country and that stench released by Bulkachuwa.

Very briefly, here’s who Bulkachuwa is: As stated earlier here, he is married to a past President of the second highest Court in the land – Court of Appeal – the otherwise highly respected Honourable Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa. He is father to very educated children, including two sons who ran for the Senate and House of Representatives, (Did they win?), and a daughter, who is a High Court Judge. He is referred to as an elder statesman. And, until a few days ago, a serving “Distinguished” Senator. But within a few moments of self-aggrandizement  he threw all that to the dogs.

Now, if it was just his family and his reputation that he threw to the dogs, nobody would have bothered with him. But he did more than that. He Damaged Nigeria.

Senator Bulkachuwa, by his comments, damaged the whole of the Nigeria Judiciary. He, particularly, put a big question mark to all the judgements and rulings given by the Court of Appeal under his wife’s watch. He told us that, at least, a good number of those judgements, particularly, those which concerned politicians, were products of corruption – I don’t want to say they were purchased through him. But Senator Bulkachuwa told Nigerians that between him and his wife and the “other room”, they decided serious cases and corrupted the Court of Appeal. Between them, they destroyed the Political future of some Politicians. And they thought nothing of it! He felt it was something he could just casually mention on the floor of the Senate to boost his ego, and to tell in-coming members: “Here I am, use me. Once a President of the Court of Appeal, always a President.”

He did more.

He stripped Judges of the Court of Appeal, under his wife, of their integrity. He exposed them to public ridicule. He painted them in unflattering colours. He  used “coal tar” not only on their robes, but on their faces. How do they feel now, especially, as they are not in a position to talk for themselves, to defend their integrity? Who will they convince? Kai!

The tragedy is: a number of the Judges are innocent. A number of them are of solid character. But who will speak for them?

Now, not a few people will  doubt the credibility of the judgements they got from that Court under the supervision of Bulkachuwa’s wife. They will be well within their rights to head back to  Court  and ask for a review of their cases.

I am taken aback by three things here.

Firstly, that Senator Adamu and Honourable Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa are still in their home; that none of them has been invited for interrogation; that they are still walking free as if nothing happened.

Where are Nigeria’s Security Agencies. What has happened is not just a confession to corrupting the Judiciary, it touches the Security of the Country. It could trigger an uproar from many directions.

Secondly, there is no official outrage by the Judiciary. Where is the Chief Justice of Nigeria? What about the Bar? Where is the President of the Nigeria Bar Association? Why is there no outrage from the Bar yet? In case they think Bulkachuwa’s confessions will fizzle out, it will not. His confession is worse than an earthquake. It is a tsunami. The Judiciary has been shaken to its very foundation, and its credibility  seriously questioned and swept away by Bulkachuwa’s confession.

In one sentence, Bulkachuwa dismissed the Nigeria Judiciary as not credible. And the World heard and read. Is there any wonder most countries have stopped honouring affidavits sworn-to in Nigeria, and any documents notarized in our dear Country? They dismiss them as products of corruption, fake. Now, they have a confirmation from Senator Bulkachuwa that even some of our Court Judgements are products of corruption.

Some Nigerians, including a couple of high profile Lawyers, have called for a probe of the tenure of Honourable Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, rtd., as President of the Court of Appeal. They have called for a review of, at least, all political Judgements given under her leadership of the Court of Appeal. They are correct. In more civilized climes, the process ought to have started. Sure, it will shake a number of things, and destabilize a number of people, but why not? Senator Bulkachuwa has already stripped the Nigeria Judiciary naked. The s**t has already hit the fan. I mean, he that is down needs fear no fall. He has already opened the rot. The stench has spread far and wide. And, it is suffocating.

Finally, to Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa. I would have given an arm to see her face while her husband publicly confessed to their secret. I would have given an arm to know her reaction when her husband came home after his confession. Did she scream at him? Did she break his head? Judge or no Judge, a number of women would have done that. Or even worse. How dared he destroy her long held public image of an incorruptible Judge? But here’s my unsolicited advice to her:

She should gird her loins and be ready for the big battle ahead. She should be ready to defend her integrity. And dignity. And judgements. Her husband has stripped her

naked in the market square. She should fight to cover herself. It is a big fight that touches on the foundation of the Judiciary. And of Nigeria. It is a serious issue. In some countries, husband and wife could have been cooling their feet somewhere, and answering “did you or did you not?”

For now, somebody should bring Senator Bulkachuwa in, and ask him to start talking. This stinks to high heavens!

Obi is the Editor-in-Chief/CEO of The Source (Magazine), https://thesourceng.com.  Email: [email protected], [email protected]