The Code of Conduct Tribunal Chairman, Danladi Umar has today declared that he would not suspend the trial of the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki based on the Senate sitting.
Recall that the Chairman of the CCT had earlier declared that the trial would proceed henceforth on a daily basis from 10:00 am to 06:00 pm.
The CCT Chairman while adjourning the case against the Senate President at about 5:00pm on Monday rejected a plea by the Senate president’s lawyer, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), seeking the Tribunal to skip Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday being days of the week which the Senate sits.
Opposing the plea, the lead prosecuting counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), noted that the Senate was not involved in the trial.
He stated that: “The Senate is not on trial. The persons that is on trial is the defendant. The Senate should sit. It’s a disgrace to our nation to be saying that.”
The Tribunal Chairman in his response to the plea maintained that the Senate could go on with its sitting while the Senate President faces his trial.
He added that: “The Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is not on trial, the Senate should sit. The only thing is that the personality of the defendant who happened to be the Senate President. The Senate should continue to sit.”