A Kaduna High Court has dismissed a libel and defamation suit filed by the former Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai against senator Shehu Sani who represented Kaduna central senatorial district in the 8th national assembly.
The trial judge, Justice HAL Balogun while delivering his judgment yesterday dismissed the El-Rufai’s suit filed on the ground that it was an abuse of court process.
The judgment was predicated on the fact that the plaintiff had filed several suit over same cause of action before several court in Kaduna State.
The defence counsel, Barr Kimi Livingstone Appah had initially filed a notice of preliminary objection to challenge the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the suit on the ground that the same case was filed in four different courts in the state.
Addressing journalists shortly after the ruling, Livingston described the judgement as a victory for democracy and freedom of expression.
It would be recalled that El-Rufai had in 2018 filed a N2 billion suit against Shehu Sani where he sought reliefs for alleged injuries suffered as a result of statements made by Sani.
El-Rufai said Sani defamed him by referring to him as a “drunk, loose cannon and an embarrassment to President Muhammadu Buhari
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