After playing hide-and-seek for some days, Senate President BukolaSaraki has got another ruling from the Code of Conduct Tribunal ordering him to appear Tuesday at 10 am to face the charge of corruption allegation the Code of Conduct Bureau slammed him.
Saraki’s lawyers appealed against the court order asking their client to be arrested Friday, and bundled before the tribunal Monday.
Before the order, the Senate president had refused to appear before the record courtbecause he believed the charge was frivolous since there’s no attorney-general of the federation to initiate the proceeding against him, as the Code of Conduct Tribunal states.
The CCB alleged Saraki anticipatorily declared his assets when he was two-term governor of Kwara, between 2003 and 2011.
As of Saturday, IGP Solomon Arase’s office said they were still waiting for the arrest warrant before they could swoop on the Senate president to effect the order given by CCT chair, Justice Danladi Umar.
At the resumed hearing on Monday, Mr. Saraki’s lawyers, led by Joseph Daudu, NBA’s ex-chairman, objected to the sitting. They argued the Tribunal was incompetent.
And indeed, the chairman and one member of the panel were present on Monday, when the constitution actually stipulates the presence of the chairman and two members of the court.
Citing the Interpretation Act, Justice Umar noted the chairman and one member could still sit in any trial.
The CCB, Saraki’s supporters have claimed, is being manipulated by external forces, including the presidency, to vilify the Senate president who, they say, is also fighting corruption in Nigeria.
But Sunday night, President MuhammaduBuhari’s top media aide, ShehuGarba, wrote in a statement the president is not involved in Saraki’s ordeal, saying the trial is a pure judicial process.