Pro-Saraki protesters besiege CCT As Tribunal Chairman Says Trial Will Now Hold Everyday

A group of protesters on Monday besieged the premises of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), calling for an end to the trial of Senate President Bukola Saraki.

Speaking with journalists, Katch Ononuju, a leader of the protest, accused Danladi Umar, chairman of the CCT, of corruption.

“As you have seen, the president will not make any success in the fight against corruption,” he said.

“We believe in a full recourse to changing the constitution. Now, that we have seen that the structure is not viable. We believe in a change of the constitution. We also believe that the criminal silence of the executive and the government not saying anything about the killings by the herdsmen is corruption.

“We believe that Danladi Umar who has an EFCC charge against him is not fit to head any court. He is already a man whose integrity is being questioned. Danladi cannot be seen to be a free man. That makes Danladi a man without autonomous strength.”

Meanwhile, chairman of the Tribunal, Daladi Umar has said that the trial of Senate President Bukola Saraki will now commence from day to day.

Umar made the statement while scolding Gabriel Esegine, counsel to the federal government, who held brief for Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), the lead counsel in the trial of the senate president.

Esegine had asked the tribunal to stand down the matter for an hour so that Jacobs, who is at the appeal court, could continue it when he returns.

But Umar was displeased, and he wondered why Jacobs would be absent from such a sensitive case.

“This tribunal will not wait for anybody,” he said.

“According to the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, trials are to commence from day to day. And that’s what will happen now from 10am to 6pm.”

However, Umar stood down the matter to 12pm after giving the prosecution counsel a talking-to.

Kanu Agabi, counsel to Saraki, had consented to the application for stand-down before the tribunal ruled on it.