The former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has had his libel and defamation suit against former Senator Shehu Sani dismissed by the Kaduna High Court. Justice HAL Balogun, the trial judge, ruled that El-Rufai’s suit was an abuse of court process.
The dismissal was based on the fact that the plaintiff had filed multiple suits concerning the same cause of action in various courts within Kaduna State. The defence counsel, Kimi Livingstone Appah, had initially raised a preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the suit, citing the multiple filings in different courts.
After the ruling, Appah addressed journalists and hailed the decision as a victory for democracy and freedom of expression.
El-Rufai had filed a N2 billion lawsuit against Sani in 2018, seeking compensation for alleged harm caused by Sani’s statements. The former governor claimed that Sani had defamed him by referring to him as a “drunk, loose cannon, and an embarrassment to President Muhammadu Buhari.” Over the years, the two politicians have engaged in several confrontations due to their political differences.
