The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has arrived the Code of Conduct Tribunal sitting in Abuja.
Saraki arrives the tribunal at few minutes past 10.00am.
He was accompaigned by senators and other spporters.
The Senate President is facing a 13-count charge bordering on alleged false declaration of assets.
Senate President Bukola Saraki will appear before Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) today to answer charges of alleged false declaration of assets.
Saraki told reporters at the National Assembly that he believes in the judicial system.
The Court of Appeal yesterday turned down Saraki’s appeal for a stay of execution of the ruling of the CCT, which ordered the Inspector General of Police to arrest and produce him at the tribunal yesterday.
Saraki told reporters that based on legal advice and as a law abiding citizen, he will make himself available at the CCT.
The Senate President insisted that he had nothing to hide to prevent him from appearing before the CCT.
He said: “Well, I think with the ruling of the Appeal Court, I think that based on legal advice, they have exercised their right and being a law, abiding citizen too and the decision of CCT saying that one should be there tomorrow (today) I will be there.
“ I have nothing to hide. The CCT was exercising its own right both at the Federal High Court and at the Court of Appeal so we will be there.
“The most important thing is that I believe in the process and I will ensure that I will be there in the morning.”
Also a statement by the Special Adviser (Media) to the Senate President, Yusuph Olaniyonu, entitled “Saraki: I will be at the Tribunal Tomorrow”, noted that Saraki will appear before the Code of Conduct Tribunal today.
It added: “While the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, had stated and maintained that he is ready to submit himself to due process of the law on any issue concerning him, he also believes that he has an inalienable right to resort to the same judiciary for protection when he feels his fundamental rights are about to be infringed upon.
“The Senate President is a law abiding citizen and his absence from the tribunal was based on legal advice he received from his counsel that it is not necessary for him to appear before the tribunal at this stage since the jurisdiction of the tribunal and the process of initiating the matter are being challenged before the Federal High Court Abuja.
“Following the adjournment for the determination of the motion on notice and the substantive suit before the Federal High Court to 30th of September and the appeal pending before the Court of Appeal adjourned to the 29th of September 2015, the Senate President has decided, as a law abiding citizen, to appear before the Tribunal in the interim.
“Dr. Saraki has taken the decision to attend the Tribunal sitting to demonstrate his respect for the rule of law in spite of his personal reservation on the process of his trial and the purpose it may be intended to serve.
“Dr. Saraki wishes to assure Nigerians of his absolute belief in the judicial process and is therefore confident that the course of justice would be served at the end of this matter.”
Some Senators yesterday visited Saraki’s office in solidiarity with him.
They included Deputy Senate President Ike Ekwermadu and Deputy Senate Leader Bala Ibn Na’Allah.
Others are: Senators Mohammed Ohiare (Kogi Central), Binta Masi Garba (Adamawa North, Olaka Nwogu (Rivers South East) Mao Ohuabunwa (Abia North), Theodore Orji (Abia Central), Hope Uzodinma (Imo West), Abubakar Abdulrahman (Kogi East), Kabiru Gaya ( Kano Central), Sunny Ogbuoji (Ebonyi South) and Obinna Ogba (Ebonyi Central).
Parties are awaiting the Federal High Court, Abuja, ruling on the motion for interim restraining filed by Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to challenge the arrest order clamped on him by the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
The CCT had on Friday ordered the Inspector-General of Police and other security agents to arrest and produce Saraki at its Monday’s sitting after the Senate President shunned its Friday’s sitting.
Justice Ahmed Mohammed is expected to rule on Saraki’s motion restraining the police and other security agents from arresting him.
The court had, last Thursday, refused the motion, but ordered him to put the respondents on notice and for them to come before the court on Tuesday to explain why the order should not be granted.
Earlier on Monday, parties argued the application, and the court will give its verdict soon
… Saraki’s supporters at tribunal
There is heavy security deployment at the Code of Conduct Tribunal on Monday morning.
Entrances to the CCT premises are cordoned off, with few individuals, including staff, journalists and politicians allowed entry after thorough scrutiny.
Men of the regular police, riot police and others in the Force bomb disposal unit are providing security at the tribunal.
There is improved security presence at the tribunal on Monday compared to what was observed last Friday.
Several supporters of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki , are presently at the tribunal, awaiting his arrival
Mixed reactions have trailed Senate President, Bukola Saraki’s invitation by the Code of Conduct Tribunal over alleged false claims in his asset declaration.
A group known as Maja Elders’ Forum (MEF) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to save Saraki from the hands of some anti graft agencies in the country.
But the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) asked the embattled Senate President to face the charges leveled against him.
A statement issued on Friday by MEF Coordinator, Alhaji Kayode Yusuf, said the alleged witch hunting of Saraki since his emergence as the Senate President few months ago should be halted in the interest of peace in the polity.
Already, the group had appealed to the Northern Union (NU) and Middle Belt Forum (MBF), the two bodies, Saraki’s father, the late Olusola Saraki, had brought into prominence in the nation’s socio -political landscape, to intervene in the “persecution of the Saraki’s family.”
The statement titled – “Save Bukola Saraki’s Life: A Passionate Appeal to President Buhari,’ the group believed that the recent invitation of Saraki’s wife Oluwatoyin by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and his attempted prosecution by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) may not be unconnected with the rising political profile of the former Kwara State governor.
The statement reads: “We want to use this forum to appreciate God for the life of our political leader here in Kwara, Dr. Bukola Saraki. Besides, we are grateful for the emergence of our visionary President Muhammadu Buhari who we massively voted for here in Kwara on the instruction of our leader.
“But we are taken aback by the recent developments in the nation’s political circle where Saraki seems to be the only politician that should be investigated by anti graft agencies in Nigeria. We are not opposed to the anti corruption crusade of President Buhari but what we don’t understand is that why should the search light be beamed only on our leader to the exclusion of others?
But the chairman of PDP in Kwara, Akogun Iyiola Oyedipo, said, “Senator Saraki should go and face the charges leveled against him. I don’t see anything he is doing to exonerate himself on the pages on newspapers.
“I think that his claim that one of the charges happened in 2003 is uncalled for. It is one of the reasons why I urged Kwarans not to solidarise with him rather they should allow him to face the charges levelled him at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.”
The Code of Conduct Tribunal in Abuja on Friday issued a bench warrant for arrest of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, for refusing to attend the tribunal’s proceedings.
The tribunal, led by Justice Danladi Umar, ordered the Inspector General of Police (IGP) or other relevant security agencies to arrest Saraki and produce him in court on Monday.
The tribunal gave the orders while ruling on arguments by prosecution lawyer, Muslim Hassan (of the Federal Ministry of Justice) and defence lawyer, Mahmud Magaji (SAN).
The tribunal also refused an assurance by one of his lawyers, Joseph Daudu (SAN), that he will produce Saraki before the tribunal on the next adjourned date, insisting that it was inappropriate for the tribunal to reverse itself having ordered Saraki’s arrest.
Hassan had noted at the commencement of proceedings that Saraki was absent in court despite being served with summons in relation to a 13-count charge filed against him for allegedly violating the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal (CCB/T) Act on assets’ declaration.
Hassan consequently urged the tribunal to issue a bench warrant for arraignment of Saraki before the tribunal. In the alternative, he urged the tribunal to stand the case down for some time to allow Saraki’s law prevail on him to appear.
Magaji countered Hassan’s position and urged the court to discountenance his (Hassan’s) application on the ground that he lacks the locus standi to file the charge and that the tribunal has no jurisdiction to hear the case.
Citing Section 24(2) of the CCB/T Act, Magaji argued that it was only the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) or any official of his office he authorized that could legitimately initiate such criminal proceedings.
He contended that since the AGF is not in place, no official of the office of the AGF could legitimately initiate proceedings against anyone.
Magaji also argued that his client’s presence was unnecessary at this stage because he was currently challenging the competence of the charge and the tribunal’s jurisdiction to hear the case.
He equally drew the tribunal’s attention to the case his client filed before the Federal High Court, Abuja, and the order it made asking the respondents, including the CCT to explain why they should not be restrained from proceeding with the case.
The Federal Ministry of Justice on Friday asked the Code of Conduct Tribunal to issue bench warrant for the arrest of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki.
Mr. M.S Hassan, a deputy director in the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, applied for the warrant of arrest, following the Senate President’s refusal to appear before the tribunal on Thursday.
The Code of Conduct Bureau has filed a 13- count corruption charge against Saraki for failing to properly declare his assets.
Saraki, who was expected in court on Friday, sent his team of lawyers to serve the tribunal with a copy of the ruling delivered by Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, Thursday, which summoned the Ministry of Justice to appear on Monday to explain why the trial should be allowed to proceed.
Equally summoned by the court were the Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Danladi Umar, that of the Code of Conduct Bureau, Mr. Sam Saba and Mr. Hassan, who signed the charge against Saraki.
The failure by the Code of Conduct Tribunal to form a quorum stalled hearing on the case against the former Federal Capital Territory Minister, Lt. Gen. Jeremiah Timbut Useni (rtd), on Wednesday.
Tribunal Chairman, Danladi Yakubu Umar, regretted the tribunal’s inability to form a quorum.
He explained that the two other members of the tribunal were unavoidably absent and pleaded with all present to bear with the tribunal. He adjourned hearing till June 25.
Useni is being tried on a five count-charge brought against him by the Federal Government marked: CCT/FRC/ABJ/1/01/2000.
He is charged with alleged failure to declare his assets on assuming office and on completion of his tenure; running private businesses while in office and abuse of office by allegedly allocating plots of land to himself and companies in which he has interest, among others.
The tribunal was to hear Useni’s motion challenging government’s seizure of five of his choice property in Abuja and Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
It is his contention that the property, seized under the administration of ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo, were not taken over on the order of a competent court.
He is praying the tribunal to order that documents relating to the property be retrieved from the government and held by the tribunal pending the completion of his trial. The property include plot 3348 Cadastral Zone A5 (held in the name of Tim- Tali Shipping an Marine Services); plot 3346 Cadastral Zone 6 (held in the name of Messrs Tim-Tali Motel Nigeria Limited); plot 2233 Cadastral Zone 2 (Julnan Enterprises Nigeria Limited); plot 1881 Cadastral Zone 4, Asokoro (Jebut Business Enterprises) and plot 99C, Olumeni Street, Old GRA, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Useni stated in a supporting affidavit that the property had been seized by the then National Security Adviser (NSA) and Attorney General of the Federation before a formal charge was filed against him.
The Federal Government, in a counter affidavit, asked the court to discountenance Useni’s request.