Saraki appears before tribunal

The Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, has said that he would be at the Code of Conduct Tribunal today.

Saraki made this know through a statement issued by his media aides on Monday. The statement was posted on his Facebook page.

The Tribunal sat on Monday and Friday without the presence of the Senate President. This led to an arrest order issued by the Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Danladi Umar. 

He was invited in connection with false assets allegation charges leveled against him.

The statement said the Senate President had stayed away from the tribunal sitting on the ground advice by his legal team.  

“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 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,” said the statement.

According to the statement, Saraki had taken a U-turn because of his respect for the rule of law. It emphasised that the Senate President still had reservation about the process.