Friday 11 March 2016

Senate President Saraki arrives tribunal with 66 lawyers, 30 Senators

Senate President, Bukola Saraki has arrived the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) for his corruption trial. Saraki is said to have arrived the tribunal with at least 30 Senators and 66 lawyers. Some of the senators who accompanied him are Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, Abdullahi Sabi, Stella Oduah, Hope Uzodinma, Shehu Sani, Dino Melaye, and Sam Anyanwu, The Cable reports.



Saraki had also appeared with an entourage of senators on each of his three previous trial dates.
The Senate President has been charged with 13 counts of false declaration of assets by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).
 
Saraki is said to have committed the crime during his tenure as Governor of Kwara State from 2003 to 2011.

The Senate President has made several attempts to stop his trial but suffered a permanent defeat in that respect when the Supreme Court ruled that the trial must go on.

Saraki has also repeatedly said that he is being persecuted by persons who are unhappy with his emergence as Senate President.

Saraki became Senate President in June 2015 despite being expressly excluded from contesting the position by his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).