Saraki looses in fresh bid to stop trial

A federal high court sitting in Lagos has struck out a suit filed by Senate President Bukola Saraki to stop his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) in Abuja.

In his ruling, Ibrahim Buba, the presiding judge said the court lacked the jurisdiction to hear the case.
Saraki is being tried at the tribunal for alleged false asset declaration.

Arguing that the CCT trial falls short of his right to fair hearing and liberty in accordance with Section 36 of the constitution, Saraki asked the court to nullify the 13-count charge against him.
He also sought an order restraining being prosecuted or arrested in relation to his tenure as governor of Kwara between 2003 and 2011. However, the court failed to grant his prayers.

The development is coming exactly a week after the appeal court in Abuja struck out his bid to also stop the trial, forcing him to approach the supreme court.

However, the CCT ruled on Thursday that the trial must continue despite the appeal at the apex court.
In protest to the ruling, Saraki’s lawyers, led by Mahmud Magaji, said they were withdrawing from the case for what they termed “judicial rascality”.

Consequently, Danladi Umar, chairman of the CCT, asked Saraki if he was prepared to defend himself to which he answered in the negative.
Though Saraki sought for a month to convince his lawyers to continue with the case or assemble a new legal team, Umar gave him a week and adjourned the case to November 19.

Saraki reiterated that he was on trial because he defied the “wishes of some powerful people to become senate president”.

Source: The Cable