The Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, on Tuesday appeared before the Code of Conduct Tribunal and pleaded not guilty to multiple charges of fraud brought against him by the Code of Conduct Bureau.
He was thereafter granted bail and the tribunal adjourned till October 21, 22 and 23.
He faces a 13-count charge bordering on corruption and alleged false declaration of assets.
Saraki arrived the tribunal around 10.00 a.m in company of over 50 senators and members of the House of Representatives.
It was gathered that the Senate President and the members of the National Assembly converged on the National Assembly early on Tuesday morning from where they took off in a convoy of buses to the tribunal.
He was docked after a short argument between the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) and the defence counsel, Joseph Daudu (SAN), who was insisting that the day’s sitting was not for the taking pleas.
After Dr. Saraki took the dock, the 13-count charge was read to him and he pleaded not guilty.
The Senate President told the tribunal, in his opening remarks that he is a firm believer in the rule of law.
Before today, Dr Saraki had given the assurance of his appearance after protracted arguments between his lawyers and the prosecution counsel over the jurisdiction of the Code of Conduct Tribunal sitting over allegations of false asset declaration.
His spokesman, Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu, had said in a statement attributed his absence from the tribunal to the legal advice he received from his counsel, that it is not necessary for him to appear before the tribunal at this stage.
