Court Throws Out El-Rufai’s N2bn Defamation Suit Against Shehu Sani
A Kaduna high court has thrown out a defamation suit filed by Nasir el-Rufai, immediate past governor of the state, against former senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani.
El-Rufai had sought N2 billion in damages over comments credited to Sani.
In the suit filed in 2018, el-Rufai said Sani defamed him by referring to him as a “drunk, loose cannon and an embarrassment to President Muhammadu Buhari”.
He described Sani’s statements as totally false and injurious to his person in the eyes of the public.
However, in his verdict on Thursday, the presiding judge, H.A.L Balogun, said the suit is an abuse of court processes, stating the same case was filed by el-Rufai in different courts in the state.
Counsel to Sani, Kimi Livingstone Appah, had drawn the attention of the court to the fact that the former governor filed the same case in four different courts in the state.
The judge agreed with Appah’s preliminary objection and dismissed the case.
Speaking with reporters after the verdict was given, Appah said it is a victory for democracy and freedom of expression.
