‘Saraki senators’ at CCT shrink from 30 to 18

Senate President Bukola Saraki arrived on Friday at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) where his trial for alleged false declaration of assets continues.

He arrived at 9:55am in company of at least 18 senators.

The number of senators who accompanied him on Friday was less than the 30 at the tribunal last week.

Saraki wore a flowing milk-coloured “agbada”, and sat gently in the second row of benches reserved for senators.

Some of the senators present are Abdullahi Sabi, senate spokesman; Sam Anyanwu, Stella Oduah, Ben Murray-Bruce, Tayo Alasoadura and Andy Uba.

This is the fifth time the senate president will appear at the CCT.

The first time was on September 22, 2015 after the tribunal had issued a bench warrant for his arrest. He was accompanied to the tribunal by at least 50 senators on that day.

On the same day, he was docked, but he pleaded not guilty to 13 counts of false declaration of assets brought against him by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).

The second time was on October 21, 2015 when he was accompanied by at least 81 senators to the tribunal.

And the third time was on November 5, 2015, when his lawyers, Joseph Daodu and Mahmud Magaji, withdrew from the case in protest of the decision of the tribunal to continue the matter despite an appeal against the constitution and jurisdiction of the tribunal at the supreme court.

The senate president had gone the whole hog to challenge his trial at the CCT, but he failed at every turn.

On February 5, the apex court dismissed the appeal to stop his trial paving the way for the continuation of the case at the CCT.

The CCT had earlier fixed March 10 for trial, but it shifted to March 11 at the instance of Kanu Agabi (SAN) Saraki’s new lawyer. On March 11, Saraki’s lawyer filed an application challenging the jurisdiction of the tribunal. The application will be heard on Friday.