Senate President arrives CCT with 80 lawyers

monjola sotubo

March 18, 2016 11:34 AM

Saraki had, on March 11, appeared at the premises of the tribunal in the company of about 30 Senators and was represented by 66 lawyers.

Senate President Bukola Saraki during his trial at the Conduct of Conduct Tribunal.

Saraki’s legal team is being led by Kanu Agabi and includes six Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN).

“We shall win as there are 80 of us on this side,” Agabi is said to have stated before reading out the names of all the lawyers on the team.

Saraki’s trial was shifted from March 11, 2016, to today due to a delay in serving a motion challenging the Tribunal’s jurisdiction on prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs.

CCT President, Danladi Umar shifted the trial after urging the defence to ensure that all motions and processes are served on time in order to avoid a further delay of the trial.

Saraki had, on March 11, appeared at the premises of the tribunal in the company of about 30 Senatorsand was reportedly represented by 66 lawyers.

Meanwhile, Saraki has once again said that the trial is political saying that he wasn’t given a chance to explain himself.

“As it stands, Nigerians must ask why this fundamental and indispensable condition for a trial at the CCT has not been followed. What this means is that the condition precedent mandates that Dr. Saraki, as every other citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is entitled to, should have been given the opportunity to explain any perceived inaccuracy, but he was never given the opportunity to do so," he wrote via a statement released by his Deputy Chief of Staff, Gbenga Makanjuola.

"Given that for 13 years, all the documents from the senate president’s asset declarations from 2003, 2007 and 2011 were accessible by the Bureau for investigation. Saraki’s application states that the condition precedence should have been drawn to it, to give the senate president the opportunity to explain and address any identified issues.

“In this regard, as the trial begins, Nigerians should note that this outright non-observance of the rule of law, reaffirms the belief that this trial is borne from political mischief and malice associated with the timeliness and nature of this suit," he added.

The Senate President has been charged with 13 counts of false asset declaration which is said to have occurred during his 2003-2011 tenure as the governor of Kwara State.

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