Lawan group moves in, wants Saraki out

Following Friday’s Supreme Court judgment that the Senate President, Bukola Saraki has to face trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Senators under the aegis of the Senate Unity Forum (SUF) have said that Saraki must resign as the leader of the upper chamber.

The SUF, a group that supported Senator Ahmed Lawan, during the race for Senate presidency in June last year, said a person answering criminal charges could not lead the Senate.

They stated that in order to concentrate fully on his trial at the CCT, Saraki must step aside as Senate president
immediately.

Spokesperson for the group, Senator Kabir Marafa, said in Abuja, that Saraki was however free to return as a presiding officer after his case at the CCT.

He noted that the image of the Senate and the entire senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria would continue to be battered in the public view if Saraki continues to preside over the affairs of the red chamber while answering criminal charges at the courts.

Marafa said, “We really pity Senator Bukola Saraki, but I think this issue has dragged for too long. We have indulged him thus far because we believe that he is presumed innocent until otherwise decided by a competent court of law.

“Now that the Supreme Court has decided that he has a case to answer, I think that the best thing for Senator Saraki is to resign in order to have enough time and fully concentration to face his trial.

Read also: Saraki bashes S’Court ruling that he must face CCT

“He could, however, return and contest as a presiding officer in the chamber after his trial if he is declared innocent by the court but at the moment, the leadership of the Senate should call him to order and ask him to step aside.

“At the moment, the image of the Senate is not worth anything in the eyes of Nigerians because of the attitude of its president, who ordinarily should have resigned in a sane clime.

“However, if the senate president refused to resign and neither the leadership nor the entire senate mount any pressure on him to do so, then we would call on Nigerians to recall all their representatives in the senate because we have failed in our responsibilities.

“We have tried enough for him. We can no longer wait and watch someone who is answering criminal charges in court to come out of the dock always to preside over the affairs of the senate.”

However, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, said that calls for Saraki’s resignation, at this stage, were uncalled for.

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