Daily Trust reports that the senators at the meeting exonerated President Buhari of being behind the current crisis facing the senate President but accused "a cabal" within the presidency who they say is instigating the government institutions against Senate President Saraki.
Rising from the meeting which lasted for about 4 hours with some senators joining the meeting via telephone, the convener of the meeting, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah said they had unanimously resolved to support the anti-corruption war of President Buhari and also to deal decisively with the cabal
“We have resolved to use all available powers under the constitution to ensure that no cabal exists and run the government on behalf of Buhari and we have also resolved to deal decisively with the cabal,” he said.Also another senator who spoke on the condition of anonymity after the meeting said
"Our colleagues were angry at the beginning of the meeting because they were initially suspecting that the President has hand in the trial of Saraki. But after heated debate, they understood that Buhari was not responsible for it. One of our colleagues present at the meeting suggested that the Senate should reconvene on Monday [tomorrow] in order to address the challenge. His suggestion, however, did not see the light of day as we resolved to use other channels to address the challenge.”.Saraki failed to show up for the sitting of the Tribunal even as the Court of Appeal on Monday morning ruled ordering the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, to halt proceedings in the case of false assets declaration against the Senate President.
Buhari says....
Garba said those who were accusing Buhari of witch hunting Saraki are uninformed
"This therefore is purely a judicial process and has nothing to do with the Presidency. Let them hire a good team of lawyers to prove their innocence. Government has no desire to persecute anybody. The President has vowed to respect the rule of law and this is what he is doing by staying out of this matter. He has said times without number that the war against corruption has no sacred cows," the statement in part read.
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As the trial of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki resumes sitting on Monday 21st September, 2015, before Justice Danladi Umar led Code of Conduct Tribunal, Saraki was again not present to defend all the 13-count charges preferred against him.
As proceedings began, Justice Danladi immediately asked that Saraki be put in the dock, but his defense counsel Joseph Daodu rose to announce that he was absent. According to him: “There is an interlocutory injunction by the Federal High Court in Abuja restraining further hearing by the Tribunal.”
Daodu also cited provisions of the Tribunal Act that where there was subsisting interlocutory injunctions, appearance of accused was not mandatory, thus, there is conflict of injunctions and his client may not know which one to obey.
Prosecuting Counsel, Rotimi Jacobs who represents the Federal Ministry of Justice re-emphasised that the Code of Conduct Tribunal has coordinate jurisdiction, thus it seeks the Tribunal to go ahead with hearing.
However, Chairman of the Tribunal has said the issue of Saraki’s none appearance remains an issue to be pounded separately while reminding the defense counsel of his undertaking to produce Saraki before his Court today which (Daodu) sought for and, which he noted.
“I want to remind you that you sought for an undertaking to produce Senator “Bukola Saraki before the Tribunal and I said it is noted, which was recorded. Or you didn’t get what I said?,” Tribunal Chairman said.
"I can further confirm that the number on the copy of the passport you supplied (marked 2 by yourselves) does not relate to Mr. Saraki,” the letter to Saraki's lawyer, which was sent to Premium Times, stated
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