Kaduna high court rules against Governor El-Rufai saying his Religious Bill is a human rights breach

GOVERNOR Nasir El-Rufai has lost in the Kaduna high court after a judge ruled that the recent Religious Bill seeking to curb the activities of Christian and Muslim clergymen was a gross violation of the fundamental human rights as captured in the Nigerian constitution.

Last month, the Kaduna State House of Assembly passed the Religious Bill, making it mandatory for all mosques and churches to get government clearance before opening. This means they must also get government authorisation before holding open air rallies across the state and all imams and pastors must be registered with the Kaduna State government.

However, religious groups, especially, the Christian Association of Nigeria has expressed their bitter position to the bill, saying it was tantamount to persecution. Subsequently, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) dragged the state government to the court, challenging passage of the bill and yesterday won the case.

In its ruling, the court affirmed the development was inconsistent with the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria thereby making it illegal. Governor El-Rufai, had in 2016 sent the religious bill, a rejig of 1984 decree to the Kaduna State House of Assembly but it was set aside for about three years before it was eventually passed a few hours to the end of the last assembly.

Ruling on the matter, the presiding judge, Justice D Gwadah,  added that the actions of the assembly in proceeding to pass the bill into law despite the pending court proceedings and the subsisting court injunction restraining the action, is an affront. However,  this may not be the end of the matter as the governor and other respondents in the matter may seek higher court decisions on the matter.