Government should apologise to Saraki

Sir: To say that a large percentage of socially and politically conscious Nigerians have followed keenly the continued persecution of the President of the Eighth Senate, Dr. Bukola  Saraki, for simply defying the odds in clinching the highly coveted position will not be an understatement.

The Senate President himself has stated categorically the very reasons he continued to be victimised and treated as such. Hence, one cannot but wonder that if one person who holds such a sensitive position as this can have his colleagues on the political field deliberately tilt things against him and shift the goalpost, then what fate awaits ordinary Nigerians. In recent times, two matters have come up that once again question the credibility of the supposed war against corruption as bordering more around the precincts of overall political persecution.

First, was the rumoured withdrawal of the services of the prosecuting counsel in the matter, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, for no just reason other than the fear that he will and even has been compromised having reportedly cut his legal teeth under the tutelage of the defence counsel, the vintage former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Kanu Agabi, SAN.

The second was the noticeable flaw leading to the apparent withdrawal of two out of the 13 count charges brought against the Senate President. These developments show that the government is indeed under enormous pressure to deliberately ensure the prosecution and political persecution of the Senate President without any due regard for the rule of law. The Danladi Umar-led Code of Conduct Tribunal for reasons best known and unknown remains a major tool toward achieving this end.

It remains visible to even the blind and audible to the deaf that a script is in play with very strict instructions to nail, shame and even jail Dr. Bukola Saraki through any and all means possible. This trial has proven to be a manual on getting your enemies by hook, or by crook! We have seen the law bent in the course of the determination of the pretrial matter of jurisdiction particularly regarding salient conditions precedent to arraignment before the tribunal.

I will not end this piece without a word of advice to the learned prosecutor that it remains trite that he maintains and respects the rule of law by allowing the defence to all legal aids his might require in the pursuit of his proving his innocence. As a concerned Nigerian, it is best for the Federal Government to simply tow the path of honour by withdrawing the matter against the Senate President quietly, apologise unequivocally to him, and take a step further by removing all traces of the currently visible fingers of politics, witch-hunting and politicking in order to validate its posture and war against sleaze, graft and corruption.

Olalekan Alabi,
e-mail: Olalekanalabi:234@yahoo.com