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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