Connect with us

Nigeria In One Minute

CCT judge to Saraki, I must continue your corruption case

Published

on

Chairman Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Danladi Umar, has ruled out withdrawing from the trial of Senate President Bukola Saraki.

Saraki had through his lawyer, Kanu Agabi (SAN), said he had no ‎faith that the tribunal under the chairmanship of Umar can give him justice and asked that he should recuse himself from the trial on the grounds that he was biased.

He based his reason on a statement ascribed to Umar saying that Saraki was afraid of “final consequences”.

‎However siting on the case on Wednesday, Umar declared the application by the defendant asking him to withdraw from the case was wrong. He argued that he would not withdraw from the trial since there would be no one to sit in judgment over the case if he does.

“The application to recuse myself has not been contemplated in the constitution. In the absence of a chairman, this trial cannot go on, therefore I cannot recuse myself. The chairman is the tribunal, without the chairman there is no tribunal.

“The application of the applicant is founded on mere conjecture. The application of the applicant is not well-founded, it is hereby dismissed”, Umar stated.

 

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now