Inside Story: Saraki's Case with the Court of Appeal

by Saliu Kadiri



Today, the inaction of the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja delivered a blow that could have set Nigeria’s judicial system back by many years. The Court, which was scheduled to rule on the technical aspects of the case involving the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), has generated a lot of controversy by failing to deliver a ruling on the matter. Court of Appeal staff close to the President of the Court, Justice Bulkachuwa, said that she has caved in to external pressure from a certain “North West governor” who has promised to compensate her and the other judges on the case if they do his bidding.

 

Many will recall that over the past few days, rampant reports have suggested that the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has been penned down as one of the witnesses and evidence-providers in the Senate President’s thirteen-count charge at the CCT. 

 

Insiders in the Kaduna State governor’s camp have also revealed that Mallam El-Rufai is eager to serve as a key witness in the government’s case against Saraki, as he is of the opinion that if given the opportunity to steer the legislature for the next 4 years, Saraki has the proven pedigree and political wherewithal to become the next President of Nigeria after Buhari’s tenure ends.

 

An aide in the Office of the Senate President, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, revealed that the Senate President has repeatedly told his closest advisers that it is irresponsible to start talking about the 2019 presidential race, as he is primarily focused on the opportunity to prove his mettle as the nation’s chief lawmaker. The aide further explained that Dr. Saraki has cautioned his staff about discussing future elections, and has issued a standing order to all his staff to focus on their primary duties in the legislature. 

 

Many analysts believe that the counsel to the CCT, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, might have been privy to the Court of Appeal’s decision to postpone the ruling – even before Dr. Saraki’s team was apprised of the situation at 2pm. Some have even suggested that Mr. Jacob’s failure to show up in court, implicitly revealed that either himself or his team had been in contact with the judges on the case; consequently, the judges decided not to show up as soon as it was confirmed that the verdict of the court would not be rendered due to external influences.

 

On Tuesday, Dr. Saraki will report at the Senate to continue with the screening of the remaining nominees sent by President Buhari for confirmation as ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. With the screening scheduled to continue until Wednesday, and his court case with the CCT scheduled to reopen on the same day, it is yet to be seen how Saraki’s case at the CCT will impact the Senate’s screening of the ministerial nominees. This is because at the initial stages of the case, Danladi Umar, the Chairman of the CCT – who has also been revealed to be a former Special Assistant to the current Kaduna State governor during his stint as Minister of FCT – insisted that the Senate President must be present at the tribunal while the trial lasted.

 

Against the backdrop of APYF, an APC Youth group, calling for the adherence to the rule of law in the Senate President’s trial, it will be interesting to see how El-Rufai’s influence in both the Court of Appeal and the CCT will shape Saraki’s trial.

 

Political observers have commented that as more time passes, the political motivations behind Saraki's case are becoming apparent. Speaking with a University of Abuja professor of law this evening, the professor brought to light that the legal foundation of the case against Saraki is constituted on shaky ground. The professor cited non-adherence to Article 24, section 2, of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, stating that the mode and method that the CCT case was instituted against the Senate President, demonstrated that certain elements were attempting to expedite the process, hence, numerous careless mistakes were made procedurally. Additionally, the professor questioned how Sahara Reporters, an online platform based in New York, was able to authoritatively reveal that the case would be ruled in Saraki's favour; hence, forcing the judges on the case to withhold their verdict by preemptive media blackmail.

 

As it stands, Nigerians at home and abroad are awaiting the full week of political action that is ahead in the country’s polity, with many believing that Dr. Saraki’s legal options have intentionally been illegally cornered by the overt machinations and manipulations of the man who calls himself “The Accidental Public Servant.”

D story is about el-rufai and saraki, is no more tinubu, wetin saraki do el-rufai

Saraki cannot afford to whip up sentiments of political witch-hunting at this crucial stage, he waited too long to act while at the same time wishing his political problems away.......he deserves whatever he is facing now and what he will face in the days ahead......

inside nonsense

Rubbish!

inside beer parlor gist

tomakint:
Saraki cannot afford to whip up sentiments of political witch-hunting at this crucial stage, he waited too long to act while at the same time wishing his political problems away.......he deserves whatever he is facing now and what he will face in the days ahead......

Could you explain further?

IMHO,he acted the only way open to him, which was approaching the FHC to question the CCT's jurisdiction.

Or is there another angle? Kindly expatiate.. thx.

Jesusloveyou:
D story is about el-rufai and saraki, is no more tinubu, wetin saraki do el-rufai

Read one of the houses Saraki declared in 2003 was purchased from El Rufai in [b]2007[/b & maybe El Rufai being PMB's godson felt he had to step up....

It's difficult to understand the inner workings of anyone's mind though, we can't know for sure if SR's reportage was a pre emptive strike to skew public opinion or there was actually a grand plan to buy judgement for Saraki..

Indefinite adjournment however does Saraki no good cos he can't go to the supreme court & he is at the mercy of the CCT..

Naija political landscape is stranger than fiction..

modath:

Could you explain further?
IMHO,he acted the only way open to him, which was approaching the FHC to question the CCT's jurisdiction.
Or is there another angle? Kindly expatiate.. thx.

No sir. He acted like a rogue Lawmaker. CCT is a judicial body of unquestionable jurisdiction in public officers assets declaration cases. Saraki is 'supposed' to be the Chief Law-maker and hence Chief Law-respecter of the Land.

Instead of facing his charges he was running round to stop proceedings. if he had nothing to hide he should clear his name before the CCT; after all, he has opportunity to appeal any undesirable decision by the CCT.

The same Saraki has, twice, ignored court summons in a different case brought against his Senate ; he did not send in lawyers nor give any reasons for his absence. This type of personality cannot continue to sit as the head of our nations highest lawmaking body.

Ghandi12:


No sir. He acted like a rogue Lawmaker. CCT is a judicial body of unquestionable jurisdiction in public officers assets declaration cases. Saraki is 'supposed' to be the Chief Law-maker and hence Chief Law-respecter of the Land.

Instead of facing his charges he was running round to stop proceedings. if he had nothing to hide he should clear his name before the CCT; after all, he has opportunity to appeal any undesirable decision by the CCT.

The same Saraki has, twice, ignored court summons in a different case brought against his Senate ; he did not send in lawyers nor give any reasons for his absence. This type of personality cannot continue to sit as the head of our nations highest lawmaking body.

I get all these, the question was a rebuttal to the other gentleman's claim that Saraki didn't act quickly enough..

Let's leave political affiliation aside, I'm not condoning his actions from june 9 till date, I'm talking survival instincts...... He definitely sought to protect his interest by going to the FHC but his "enemies" are stronger, so his not acting quicker is what i didn't get & sought clarification on.