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SENATE FORGERY CASE: FG may re-arraign Saraki, Ekweremadu

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The victory celebration by Senate President, Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, over the withdrawal of the forgery case against them, may be short lived, as there are indications that the Federal Government may be shopping for fresh evidence to nail the two presiding officers of the Nigerian Senate.

To this end, the National Prosecution Coordination Committee is scheduled to meet today, Monday to review the case and its withdrawal.

It would be recalled that the Federal Government had withdrawn the case against Saraki and Ekweremadu on Thursday in a motion filed by a litigation clerk in the Ministry of justice.
According to reports, the team of prosecutors handling the case, led by Aliyu Umar, SAN, will be at the meeting to be attended also by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Umar Mohammed.

There are indications that the committee will deliberate on the next line of action on the case and consider filling fresh charges against the defendants.

However, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in a statement on Sunday, described the withdrawal of the case against Saraki and Ekweremadu as a laughable development that should not be celebrated.

The PDP, in the statement issued by its statement spokesperson, Mr. Dayo Adeyeye, in Abuja, on Sunday, said it was amused by the sudden realisation by the Federal Government that the case was orchestrated to deal with the legislature.

Read also: DISMISSAL OF FORGERY CASE: All is not well, Tinubu tells Saraki, Ekweremadu

The statement reads in part: “We are amused by this sudden realisation of the Federal Government that the so-called forgery case was a shadow chase from the beginning. It was complete nothingness!

“More so, the claim through the lead counsel, Aliyu Umar (SAN), that the withdrawal was on the grounds of respect for the rule of law and hierarchy of the judiciary, demonstrates more of comedy on the side of the Federal Government that has a penchant for legal disobedience and abuse of court processes.

“The principle of separation of powers as propagated in every democratic setting is to allow for checks and balances among the different arms of government in order to prevent excessive or cohesive use of power by any of the organs of government.

“In this context, it was clear to us and other well-meaning Nigerians from the outset that this case of forgery instituted against the presiding officers of the National Assembly was just another bad politics of the APC because the Federal Government under the Penal Code Law has no business with the Standing Rules of the National Assembly as alleged.”

By Timothy Enietan-Matthews…

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