The Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki has said he will appear before the Code of Conduct Tribunal on Tuesday to answer criminal charges of false declaration of assets.
A statement by the Media Office of Senate President said “While the Senate President Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, had stated and maintained that he is ready to submit himself to due process of the law on any issue concerning him, he also believes that he has an inalienable right to resort to the same judiciary for protection when he feels his fundamental rights are about to be infringed upon.”
The Code of Conduct Tribunal had last Friday issued a warrant to the Inspector General of Police to arrest and produce Saraki on Monday after he failed to honour summon on Friday.
At the resume sitting on Monday morning, Saraki did not appear as ordered but the tribunal further issued an order for the embattled senate president to be physically present on Tuesday September 22.
Saraki had sought gone to a high court last Thursday to stop his trial but the tribunal on Friday ruled that the High court had not powers to stop it. On Monday, Saraki’s request to stop his trial was turned down by an Apeal Court in Abuja.
The statement from the senate president on Monday evening said that his “absence from tribunal was based on legal advice he received from his counsel that it is not necessary for him to appear before the tribunal at this stage since the jurisdiction of the tribunal and the process of initiating the matter are being challenged before the federal High Court Abuja.”
