Senators back Saraki, fault calls for his resignation

DESPITE losing the bid to stop his trial by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) over alleged false declaration of assets, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, yesterday received a vote of confidence from some of his colleagues in the upper chamber.

A statement issued by Senate Spokesman, Saabi Aliu Abdullahi, yesterday disclosed that an unspecified number of senators met Sunday night to review the decision of the Supreme Court and resolved to continue to support the Senate President until the conclusion of the trial. According to the statement, the Senators ‎rejected calls for Saraki to resign. It described the trial as a politically motivated persecution initiated to settle scores with the Senate President.

The statement tagged “CCT vs Saraki: Our Stand Remains The Same”reads: “Following a meeting held in Abuja yesterday by some Senators and the wide consultations with our colleagues in which we reviewed last Friday’s decision of the Supreme Court in the appeal on the preliminary matters filed by the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, on the charges filed against him at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), we hereby resolve as follows: That from the beginning of the trial last September, we have declared that this case is not about any fight against corruption. It is simply a case of political vendetta. Our position remains the same. We still believe that the case is politically motivated.

“We also noted that the decision of the Supreme Court given last Friday was on preliminary matters arising from the commencement of the trial. The trial proper is yet to begin, and since the fundamental principle in our legal system is that a defendant is deemed innocent until proven guilty, we have decided to patiently observe the proceedings until the case runs its full circle in the nation’s final judicial forum.

“It is on this ground that we want to state categorically that there is no basis for the call on the Senate President to resign until after the matter is decided in that final judicial forum. Such a call at this time is premature, mischievous and unwarranted.

“We therefore, reiterate our support for Saraki as the President of the Senate. We stand by him as he goes through the trial at the CCT where we believe he will be able to prove his innocence”.