Date: 2016-01-13

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has sought the transfer of the Senate forgery case involving him from Hon. Justice A. Ademola, whom he accused of potential bias, to another judge.

To this effect, Ekweremadu, has written to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court asking that the case be recalled from Justice Ademola's court and transferred or reassigned to any other judge for hearing and speedy determination.

It would be recalled that as a result of the political disagreement that greeted the emergence of the leadership of the 8th Senate, some Senators protested against the adoption of Senate Rule 2015 for the election of the Presiding officers.

Specifically, five All Progressives Congress, APC Senators namely Abu Ibrahim, Kabiru Garba Marafa, Robert Ajayi Boroffice, Olugbenga Ashafa and Othman Hundeyin dragged the Senate President Bukola Saraki, Ekweremadu, the National Assembly, Clerk of the National Assembly, Clerk of the Senate, the Senate to the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/651/2015.

But Ekweremadu in a letter dated December 17, 2015 and copied to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, sighted the alleged closeness of Justice Ademola to the leader of the APC, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as one of the reasons why he might not get fair hearing.

He also alleged that the recent appointment of the wife of Justice Ademola, Mrs. Olabowale Toluwalope Ademola, as the Head of Service of Lagos State would further make it impossible for Ademola to be impartial.

Ekweremadu's letter which tagged "application for transfer of Suit (order 49 rule 2)" reads: "I, Senator Ike Ekweremadu being the 2nd defendant in this s

uit hereby apply for the transfer of this suit for the Honourable Justice A. Ademola's Court where it is now pending, to another court in the Abuja Judiciary Division of the Federal High Court for hearing and determination on the following grounds:

"I am a member of the Peoples Democratic Party and the above suit is one by which the plaintiffs who are members of the All Progressives Congress seek to remove me as the Deputy President of the Senate. The matter is a highly sensitive political matter and should be heard and determined by a judicial officer who is totally independent, unbiased and has no link with any political party or political affiliation.

"Hon. Justice Ademola is closely associated with the APC and the top hierarchy of the party. "I have incontrovertible evidence that he is a very close friend of Chief Bola Tinubu, the leader of the APC.

"As a result of his closeness to the APC and its leaders, and to ensure that he does their bidding, Hon. Justice Ademola's wife, Mrs. Olabowale Toluwalope Ademola was on the 19th October 2015 sworn in as the Head of Service in Lagos State, a state under the control of the APC, a position which is held at the pleasure of the APC Governor of Lagos State.

"There is a real likelihood of Bias on the part of Hon. Justice Ademola and I do not have confidence in his Lordship, Hon. Justice Ademola's ability to determine this matter in the most impartial manner".