The Kwara State Government has dragged the former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki to court for allegedly using derogatory and abusive language against him on social media pages.
The charge, filed by the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Senior Ibrahim Sulyman, alongside the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Ayoola Idowu Akande, and Assistant Chief State Counsel, B.L. Abdulsalam, contains one count of alleged criminal defamation.
Saraki, who was also one-time Governor of the state, had allegedly published a provocative statement, saying Governor Abdulrahman is not educated up to secondary level.
At today’s resumed proceedings, counsel for the Governor, Chief Rafiu Oyeyemi SAN, moved an application for the issuance of a bench warrant against the defendant (Saraki) for failing to appear in court despite being duly served court process.
He stated that, having fulfilled the court’s requirement of being duly served, Saraki has no excuse for not appearing in court for his arraignment to enter his plea.
Saraki’s counsel, Barrister Adebimpe Abdulmumini SAN, implored the court to disregard the application submitted by his counterpart, asserting that his client is contesting the court’s jurisdiction to hear the case.
He emphasized that this issue, along with others raised in the application before the court, must be resolved before any further proceedings can commence.
Following a two-hour recess to consider the submissions of both parties on the preliminary objection and request for adjournment, the presiding judge, Justice Muritala Folorunso, ruled that the defendant was entitled to seek an adjournment.
The court subsequently adjourned the matter until July 3, 2026, for hearing of the preliminary objection and possible arraignment of the defendant.
Part of his rulings state, ‘The law is firmly settled that the court should desist from prejudging matter or an application pending before it when same has not been heard. In other words, it is a golden rule that court should not, in its ruling at interlocutory submission of counsel, make order which will have the effect of prejudging or preempting the issue of adjudication in the substantive application. See the case of Agbola and FRN, AG Kwara State and Alao, Ikumoluyi and FRN, Inyama and FRN, whose citations given.
“Pursuant to this settled law, I will not go through the record of the of this court to pronounce on satisfaction or otherwise of the service being challenged in the application of the defendant, particularly relief 1 there-to”.