A showdown
is imminent between the Presidency and the Senate following a failed
attempt by Senate President Bukola Saraki to stop his trial at the Code
of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).
The Supreme Court last Friday threw out
Saraki’s appeal to stop his prosecution over alleged false assets
declaration. The lawmakers have resolved to throw their weight behind
Saraki.
The Senate may soon launch a full-scale
war against the Presidency and certain people in the All Progressives
Congress (APC), who they persistently accused of masterminding Saraki’s
travails.
Saraki is currently facing a 13- count
charge of alleged corruption and false declaration of assets.
Specifically, he was accused of deliberately manipulating the assets’s
declaration form that he filed prior to his assumption of office as the
Senate President, by making anticipatory declaration of assets.
Saraki, who once refused to honour an
invitation extended to him by the CCT, approached a Federal High Court
where he lost and approached the Court of Appeal. Again, he didn’t
succeed. Eventually, he was docked by the CCT.
He proceeded to the Supreme Court and on
November 12, 2015, a panel of judges, headed by Justice John Fabiyi,
suspended further hearing on the case pending the outcome of the appeal.
Saraki had in his six grounds of appeal
prayed the Supreme Court to set aside the majority verdict of the
appellate court panel delivered by Justices Moore Adumein and Mohammed
Mustapha on September 30, 2015.
But last Friday, the Supreme Court ruled
that the CCT’s case against Saraki should go on. The court ruled that
the tribunal was properly constituted to exercise jurisdiction over the
trial.
However, the Senate is not ready to dump its embattled president. In a statement
issued in Abuja yesterday, spokesman of the Red Chamber, Senator
Abdullahi Sabi, said lawmakers were solidly behind Saraki. He lampooned
some Senators who have been calling for his resignation.
In the statement, Senator Sabi, who
claimed that he was speaking on behalf of the Senate, said: Following a
meeting held in Abuja on Sunday by some Senators and the wide
consultations with our colleagues in which we reviewed last Friday’s
decision of the Supreme Court in the appeal on the preliminary matters
filed by the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, on the charges filed
against him at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), we hereby resolve
that from the beginning of the trial last September, we have declared
that this case is not about any fight against corruption. It is simply a
case of political vendetta. Our position remains the same. We still
believe that the case is politically-motivated.”
Meanwhile, human rights lawyer, Mr Femi
Falana(SAN), has asked Saraki to resign in order to preserve National
Assembly’s integrity. Saraki is the Chairman of the federal legislature.
He said the unanimous decision of the Supreme Court would add value to
the battle against corruption.
Citing an instance involving a former
Senate President, the late Senators Chuba Okadigbo, Falana asked Saraki
to resign having undertaken to prove his innocence before the CCT.
He said, “having undertaken to prove his
innocence at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Saraki should resign as
Senate President so as to preserve the integrity of the National
Assembly.
“When Senators Chuba Okadigbo and Adolphus Wabara were indicted, they were made to step down as Senate presidents.”
This comes amid indications that Senators
opposed to Saraki under the aegis of the Senate Unity Forum, had
regrouped to force Saraki out of the seat.
The Supreme Court had on Friday dismissed the appeal.
A seven-man panel of the apex court
justices presided over by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud
Mohammed, unanimously ruled that Saraki’s appeal against the
jurisdiction of the trial and competence of the charges lacked merit.
Saraki, who said the Supreme Court
judgment was disappointing, however, said he would have his day in court
and that “at the end of the day, the truth will prevail, and justice
will be served.”
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