Ahmed Mogaji, the Senate president’s counsel, has
resigned from defending Senator Bukola Saraki at the
Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).
According to Daily Post, Mogaji urged the tribunal to
suspend further hearing on the matter pending the
Supreme Court’s decision on the matter, but his argument
was opposed by the prosecution, Rotimi Jacobs
The counsel, in his reaction to the new development,
resigned from his post as the defense counsel, leaving the
former governor to ‘shop’ for a new legal consultant ahead
of the next hearing.
The case has since been adjourned to November 18 and
19 for further hearing.
Earlier in the day, Saraki appeared at the CCT for his
ongoing trial with several senators.
The former governor who pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the 13-
count charge against him, was accompanied to the
tribunal Thursday morning by several senators.
The case against him was read after the arrival of the
chairman of the tribunal, Umar Danladi.
Naij.com’s correspondent at the tribunal reports that the
counsel to the federal government, Rotimi Williams (SAN),
reacted to the plea by the defendant’s counsel that the
tribunal should postpone the trial to another date. He said
that the decision of the court of appeal shall be enforced
by relevant bodies including the tribunal.
He said: “The decision of the court of appeal is binding on
all parties.”
Meanwhile, it was gathered that photojournalists were not
allowed to record or take pictures of proceedings at the
tribunal.
It was reported earlier that the Nigerian Senate had
shutdown today’s plenary in order for the senators to
support their leader.
However, Daily Post reports that Saraki had adjourned
sitting to November 10, a situation which Senator Dino
Melaye explained was to enable adhoc committees work
on their reports.
He said: “The sitting was adjourned to Tuesday to enable
four adhoc committees complete their reports and submit
next week.”
The Senate president, Bukola Saraki, is due to appear in
court in the morning of Thursday, November 5.
But, facts have now emerged over the real reason for the
action of the upper chamber of the National Assembly, as
it was gathered that the senators will be at the CCT trial
with their leader, to offer him moral support.
Saraki’s case at the tribunal borders on allegations of
foreign accounts ownership when he was the governor of
Kwara state and transferred the sum of $73,223.28 from
his GTB domiciliary account to an American Express
account.