Senate president Bukola Saraki insist he is being tried at the Code of
Conduct Tribunal because he emerged senate president against the wishes
of some powerful individuals. He said this while addressing members of
the senate at their resumed session today September 29th.
"Distinguished Senators, I believe you have all followed with keen
interest, my trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal. I shall avoid
discussing the details of that case here for obvious reasons. But let me
say it again, that I am ready and will submit myself to the entire
judicial process as provided by law.
Meanwhile, I wish to reiterate my remarks before the
Tribunal, that I have no iota of doubt that I am on trial today because I
am the president of the Nigerian Senate, against the wishes of some
powerful individuals outside this Chambers. But what is clear to me
also, is that the laws of Nigeria, and the rules of the National
Assembly give consideration only to the wishes and desires of those of
you who are here today as members of the Senate, to elect as you wish,
one of your peers as President of the Senate. This, in your wisdom, is
what you have done by electing me to be the first among all of you who
are my equals. The laws of Nigeria do not give any consideration to any
other forces outside the Senate in the election of its President. And to
yield the ground on this note, is to be complicit in the subversion of
democracy and its core principles of separation of powers as enshrined
in our constitution. This is why we must once again, commend President
Muhammadu Buhari, for refusing to interfere in the election of the
National Assembly leadership even in the face of enormous pressures on
him to do so. He has proven quite concretely that he is indeed a
born-again democrat"he said
