Former Senate President Bukola Saraki has instructed his legal team to appeal a ruling by the Kwara State High Court that dismissed his challenge to the court's jurisdiction in a criminal defamation and cyberbullying case brought by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. The decision was announced on Friday by Abdulganiyu Abdulqadir, a press officer on local matters at the Abubakar Bukola Saraki Media Office.
The proceedings took place before Justice M. O. Folorunso of the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin. According to Mr Abdulqadir, the court declined the prosecution's request for a bench warrant against Mr Saraki but also rejected the defence's argument that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case. “Dr Saraki has subsequently mandated his lawyers to immediately activate the appeal process and ensure the processes are fully filed before the adjourned date fixed by the trial court,” the statement said.
Jurisdictional Challenge and Appeal
The case has been adjourned until 22 July. The statement emphasized that Mr Saraki's legal team maintains that the issue of jurisdiction is fundamental and should be resolved before the substantive case proceeds. The lawyers advised the former senate president to challenge the ruling at the Court of Appeal because jurisdiction “goes to the root of the matter.”
The dispute originated from a social media post published by Mr Saraki on 17 April, in response to an earlier statement by the Kwara State Government. The government alleged that the post constituted criminal defamation and cyberbullying against Governor AbdulRazaq, claiming that Mr Saraki's comments questioning the governor's educational qualifications could cause a breakdown of public peace.
Mr Saraki, however, argues that the social media posts were an exercise of his constitutional right to freedom of expression and a legitimate political response as an opposition leader. The statement also noted that the former senate president reaffirmed his confidence in the judiciary and urged his supporters to remain peaceful and law-abiding while the legal process continues.
Previous Court Proceedings
Earlier reports indicated that the matter came before the Kwara State High Court on 17 June, when the prosecution urged the court to issue a bench warrant compelling Mr Saraki to appear. At that hearing, Mr Saraki's lawyers opposed the application, arguing that the prosecution had not properly initiated the proceedings and that the court lacked jurisdiction. They also contended that the Facebook and X posts cited by the prosecution were protected expressions made during political engagement.
Justice Folorunso declined to immediately rule on the jurisdictional challenge and adjourned the matter for further proceedings. The latest decision to approach the Court of Appeal means the question of whether the Kwara High Court has legal authority to hear the case may now be determined by the appellate court before the substantive trial proceeds. The appeal is expected to be filed before the next hearing scheduled for 22 July.
