President Muhammadu Buhari has dissociated himself from the current travails of Senate President Bukola Saraki in the hands of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) over a 13-count criminal charge preferred against Saraki on account of alleged false declaration of assets, saying the courts have a duty to perform.
This came as Abuja, the nation’s capital city hosts a web of high-wire intrigues and three-fold legal fisticuffs over the issue today.
Meantime, Saraki returned to Abuja after a short trip to Ilorin, the Kwara State Capital. Saraki and a host of senators were said to be meeting in Abuja, last night over the issue. Details of the strategic meeting were not available at press time.
Also, members of Senate Unity Forum, SUF, an anti-Saraki group in the Senate were, yesterday, engaged in a marathon meeting. It was gathered that the senators who met in Abuja in an undisclosed venue, were said to have gathered to strategize ahead of the resumption of the Senate.
According to a source, the meeting was a follow up to the one held by senators loyal to Saraki, weekend.
Leave Buhari out of Saraki’s trial-Presidency
While saying that it will not tolerate claims linking President Buhari to the matter, the presidency added that the speculation that CCB and CCT only act on external influence was unfounded.
A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu said: “There is no place in law that the Bureau and the tribunal should take instructions from any quarters.”
According to him, “as an independent institution equal to any superior court of record, the tribunal is set up by the constitution to determine the issue of default, false declaration or forgery in assets declaration.”
Shehu said that the matter was purely a judicial process and had nothing to do with the presidency. He advised the affected parties to also use the courts to acquit themselves of the allegations.
According to Shehu, the president cannot interfere with the judicial process by stopping the Judge. He reiterated President Buhari’s avowed commitment to the fight against corruption no matter whose ox is gored, saying that the President has sworn to protect the constitution.
“If anyone has an axe to grind with what they are doing, they should do it in a judicial manner by challenging those actions in a proper court of law. Let them hire a good team of lawyers to prove their innocence.
“Government has no desire to persecute anybody. The President has vowed to respect the rule of law and this is what he is doing by staying out of this matter. He has said times without number that the war against corruption has no sacred cows. Even if the President wants to help, there is no way he can do anything. Is he going to ask the judge to stop the trial?
“It is purely a judicial process, the type of which are routinely dealt with by the CCB and the CCT. There are many cases like this that are going on. The President has sworn to an oath to protect the constitution and will not violate that oath”, Shehu said.
Three-fold legal fisticuffs
One leg of the triangular legal battles will be at the CCT, where Justice Danladi Umar will be expecting the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase and other security agencies to produce Saraki for arraignment. Saraki refused to appear before the CCT on Friday and sent his team of lawyers led by former President of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Mr. J.B Daudu (SAN) to file a memorandum of conditional appearance on his behalf. Justice Umar in issuing a bench warrant said that having sworn to protect the constitution Saraki should have shown respect to the tribunal and appeared.
The second leg will be at the Federal High Court Abuja, where Justice Ahmed Mohammed is also expecting the Ministry of Justice, the chairmen of the CCT (Justice Umar) and the CCB, Mr. Sam Saba over the charge against Saraki. Justice Mohammed had on Thursday summoned the trio to appear before him today after hearing Dr. Saraki’s ex-parte application.
And the third front is at the Court of Appeal where Saraki has gone to challenge the powers of the CCT to try him as well as the refusal of the tribunal to discharge the bench warrant for his arrest, adding that the CCT acted without jurisdiction by assuming jurisdiction over a charge that is being challenged at the Federal High Court.
