By Henry Umoru
ABUJA —The prospects of a prolonged crisis in the Senate was, yesterday, in the offing following the decision by loyalists of Senate President Bukola Saraki to sink or swim with him in his continued trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT.
The affirmation of the Saraki loyalists is in the wake of agitations by some senators to give the Senate President a soft landing through a possible resignation from office in the interest of the legislative body.
Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki during his ongoing trail on false asset declaration at the code of conduct Tribunal in Abuja. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan
CCT trial: We’ll swim and sink with Saraki – Senators
ON April 7, 2016 12:06 AM / IN Headlines,
News / Comments
By Henry Umoru
ABUJA —The prospects of a prolonged crisis in the Senate was, yesterday, in the offing following the decision by loyalists of Senate President Bukola Saraki to sink or swim with him in his continued trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT.
The affirmation of the Saraki loyalists is in the wake of agitations by some senators to give the Senate President a soft landing through a possible resignation from office in the interest of the legislative body.
Senator Saraki is currently facing trial at the CCT following a 13-count charge levelled against him by the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, bordering on alleged corruption and false declaration of assets.
The contrasting views were inevitably widening the chasm that preceded the Senate leadership election that saw the All Progressives Congress, APC senators divide between Senators Saraki and Ahmad Lawan.
Meanwhile, allies of the Senate President in their response to the increasing pressure on him to step down, yesterday, vowed to resist the pressures saying that Saraki would not resign from office.
The pro-Saraki senators met at the Asokoro residence of Senator Magartarkada Wammako, APC, Sokoto Central and Chairman, Senate Committee on Education.
At the end of the meeting, some of the senators believed the Senate President must continue in office, stressing that for whatever it was worth, they would continue to stand firmly behind Saraki and ensure that his Senate Presidency seat was protected.
Addressing journalists on behalf of the senators, Senator Ibrahim Rafiu, APC, Kwara South and Chairman, Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions, reiterated their earlier stance that Saraki’s trial was a ‘mere persecution’ and an attempt to tarnish his image in ways not experienced before.
He said: “We have since discovered that the trial of the Senate President is a mere attempt to blackmail him and make him look bad in the court of public opinion. No more, no less. A dispassionate analysis of the proceedings at the CCT, yesterday, has pointed to the fact that the APC-led executive is still embittered against Dr. Saraki over the manner of his election as Senate President.
“This is why we are standing for the Senate President and we will so do till the very end. We are doing this not for him but for the institution of the Senate that he eminently represents. We will never allow any arm of government to rubbish the cherished autonomy of the Senate.”
Commenting on the calls in some quarters that the Senate President should resign from his position, the senators insisted that the calls were borne out of ignorance and pure hatred, describing such calls as ‘wicked and unfounded.’
“For those calling for the impeachment of the Senate President, we urge them to avail themselves of the provisions of the law relating to such a sensitive step.
"As far as we are concerned, there is nothing like that on the table, and if anybody is trying to import that from outside of the Senate, God help them.
"All I know is that they will have to produce as many as a 100 senators to achieve that aim. As long as they don’t have the majority, the call is a tall dream that will remain a figment of the imagination of the groups and their sponsors," the senators said.
Vanguard gathered, yesterday, that both the Senate Unity Forum, SUF and the Likemind Senators of the APC, may be returning to their battle moods ahead of another potential face off.
The SUF was a political pressure group formed to support Senator Ahmed Lawan, APC, Yobe North for the position of Senate President, while Likemind Senators was a pro-Saraki’s group.
According to a source, the senators are divided as to whether Senate President should step down or not.
While some of the senators are pushing for his resignation to save the image of the Senate which they see as already being rubbished before the public and the international community, others are of the view that he should remain till the end of the case.
www.vanguardngr.com/2016/04/cct-trial-well-swim-and-sink-with-saraki-senators/

F

It is better for you we don't even need you.

May you all sink together

Awon end time eleribu senators

We they here they watch...

The longer he stays , the longer the Jail term.

He seems not to know the guys he is rolling with.


He will be shocked bu the time all he witness finished testifying, even Agabi will increase Legal Consultancy Fee

They will all sink together.

If I hear
Saraki, you better no let them deceive you

seunmsg:
They will all sink together.

phemmyutd:
May you all sink together

Awon asinwin. God punish them all

phemmyutd:
May you all sink together

amin

Jobless senators....

This guy speaking is one of saraki's boys, we don't expect you to say otherwise. Personally, I have nothing against this bukola guy, I have since admitted that his intelligent and smart- his arrogance and greed are what I detest about his character. I pity the wailing boys on this forum for their senseless giving to him. In kwara, he has no regard for anybody not even the elders, to be appointed, elected or promoted you must prostrate before him or else... Just like this hypocrite is doing

No honour amongst thieves.. sink and die with him cos Nigeria might jes b better off...

No be only sinking, but they must die with him. If not, then they are all bastards. Haaaaaaa, i pity the failed state called Nigeria

Serious?

What is wrong with these Senators! I wonder why these guys still call Saraki's trial a persecution, even in the face of damning evidence against Saraki!

If our senators have no moral compass, would be any different from savages? How did these people ever get elected in the first place? It's quite obvious the attitude of these senators is a living testament of the relative backwardness of our electoral process and the electorate. Nigeria surely has much work to do.

they told Tompolo the same thing

They told GEJ the same thing

They told Nnamdi Kunu the same thing

If i were Saraki , i would cut a deal and save face

then sink you will. i hope you got enough share of the loot from saraki to fight your case when it eventually start.

DaBullIT:
they told Tompolo the same thing

They told GEJ the same thing

They told Nnamdi Kunu the same thing

If i were Saraki , i would cut a deal and save face

Thank God you are not Saraki!! This case would continue to drag and he will remain your senate president.Live with it

Despite the overwhelming evidence and facts from the source, tender before the CCT these shameless Senators still called his trial persecution or witch hunting.

I am beginning to wonder what it will be like when the real asset fortification evidence will be exposed. what will Kwaran and nigerians say.

Just thinking could this trial happen in GEJ administration?

U will sink together insha Allah.

amaechi1:
Despite the overwhelming evidence and facts from the source, tender before the CCT these shameless Senators still called his trial persecution or witch hunting.

I am beginning to wonder what it will be like when the real asset fortification evidence will be exposed. what will Kwaran and nigerians say.

Just thinking could this trial happen in GEJ administration?

Has Fashola and Amaechi been tried under the dullard despite the overwelming evidence against them?

So shall it be for these human-demons SINators. (Amen).