Saraki arriving at the CCT  today

The President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, has said that his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal will not interrupt Senate proceedings, his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Yusuph Olaniyonu said.

Olaniyonu  said the president of the Senate spoke following the announcement of the tribunal Chairman, Mr. Danladi Umar, that proceedings in the trial would hold daily henceforth.

“It would be recalled that at the preliminary stage of the trial, senators had always accompanied the Senate president to the tribunal each time the case came up for hearing.

“ But Saraki said now that the trial proper has commenced and the Senate is in session, he would not want the trial to affect legislative business.

“Saraki also said `I am the one on trial not the Senate. Even though I have been overwhelmed by the solidarity displayed by my colleagues, it is important that the work of the Senate is not unduly affected by this process.’’

Olaniyonu  added that the legislative body would not be affected by the absence of any of the principal officers.

The issue of his absence at the Senate plenary was raised at the trial as well, when Saraki’s lead counsel , Kanu Agabi twice urged the tribunal  to adjourn the sittings.

On the first occasion, he justified his request on the grounds that it would enable Saraki preside over the senate plenary.

But the tribunal chairman, Danladi Umar insisted that there was no need to to do so as the senate was not on trial, only its presiding officer.

Agabi pressed for the adjournment again on account of the group of Senators who always accompany Saraki to the venue of the trial. He  said the business of lawmaking may suffer if the trial is held day to day as the Chairman of the Tribunal vowed to do at the commencement of trial for the day.

Agabi said Saraki’s presence will mean that the Senate will not be able to hold its usual plenary.

But he had barely finished speaking before Rotimi Jacobs, the lead prosecuting counsel sprang up as if stung by a bee. Jacobs described insinuations that the trial of Saraki will affect the business of the Senate as shameful.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria emphasised that the Senate or the Senate President is not on trial.

Rather, he said the person on trial is Saraki, a senator who just happened to be the Senate President. He added that nothing stops the Senate from sitting and doing their job, instead of congregating at the Tribunal.

Mr Danladi Umar, the Chairman of the Tribunal agreed with Jacobs. “Senate is not on trial. We are not trying the Senate of Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Senate is not on trial, they should go and do their work.

“The trial is not on the Senate of Nigeria and because of that the Tribunal will not be compelled to adjourn. Let them go and sit and do their job,” Mr Umar said.

He added that the Administration of Criminal Justice Act which indicated that trial should be on a day to day basis during criminal trials was enacted by the National Assembly, which  the court is under obligation to enforce .

Protests by Paul Usoro, a member of the Defence team that that there is need for time to be given to his team to study the documents that have been tendered and admitted as evidence by the prosecution fell on deaf ears of Mr. Umar.

Jacobs further rubbed it in for the Sentors when he said there is the need for the trial to be hastened up before the amendment of ACJA, an action which he said amounted to shifting the goal post after a goal has been scored.

*Reported by Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja