EXTRA: Again, Umar keeps Saraki waiting for 2 hours – but he apologises this time

Danladi Umar, chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), kept Senate President Bukola Saraki waiting for an almost two hours – precisely an hour and 52 minutes – before commencing his trial on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Ajibola Oloyede, one of Saraki’s lawyers, had argued an application seeking the withdrawal of Umar from the trial.

Saraki’s argument was that the CCT chairman was under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), hence he would not act independently in the trial.

But Rotimi Jacobs, counsel to the federal government, who argued in favour of Umar, said that Saraki was harassing and intimidating the tribunal.

He therefore urged the tribunal to dismiss the application.

Afterwards, Umar adjourned ruling on the application to 10am on Thursday.

But the CCT judge and counsel to the federal government did not arrive at the tribunal until eight minutes before noon.

Umar sauntered into the tribunal at 11:52am in company of Williams Atedze, the second member of the panel.

However, unlike the case on April 19, when the judge kept the senate president waiting for an hour and 40 minutes and then showed up without offering an apology, he apologised for coming in late this time, explaining that it was due to some “issues” he had to iron out.