Political Briefs
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THE Supreme Court, on Thursday, December 3, fixed February 5, 2016, for judgment on the appeal filed by Bukola Saraki, Senate president, challenging the charges of false asset declaration preferred against him and the jurisdiction of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, to entertain the case.
Justice Mahmud Mohammed, chief justice of Nigeria, who led a seven-man panel of justices that heard the case, fixed the date for judgment after listening to arguments on the case on Thursday. The federal government in its submission urged the Supreme Court to dismiss Saraki’s appeal and allow the trial before the CCT to go ahead.
The Supreme Court had on November 12, through a five-man panel-led by now retired Justice John Fabiyi had granted an order of stay of proceedings of the trial of Saraki before the CCT pending the hearing and determination of the Senate president’s appeal.
Saraki’s appeal filed through Joseph Daudu (SAN), his lead counsel, is challenging the majority judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, delivered on October 30, affirming the competence of the charges of false asset declaration preferred against him and the jurisdiction of the CCT to entertain the case.
The CCT led by Danadi Umar had dismissed Saraki’s protest against the competence of the charges and jurisdiction of the tribunal. The Senate president was arraigned in September by the federal government on 13 counts of false asset declaration which he allegedly made in 2003 as the governor of Kwara State.
— Dec 14, 2015 @ 01:00 GMT
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