The Senate President, Bukola Saraki who is currently
facing a 13-count charge bordering on corruption and false declaration
of assets appeared at the Code of Conduct Tribunal today.
However, he has pleaded not guilty to the charges when he was arraigned on September 18, 2015.
An inside source working with the Senate President told naij.com
under anonymity that the Senate did not shut the door deliberately
today, but it was a decision of the ruling party, All Progressives Party
(APC) that felt that it will be disgraceful if a People’s Democratic
Party (PDP) member presided over the senate in his absence;
“It is not that Senate deliberately shut it’s door and refused to sit today because of the trial of the Senate President
.
“What happened was that the APC leadership requested that it will
be a disgrace if because of the trial of Saraki, the Senate is now
presided over by Senator Ike Ekweremadu a PDP member. They asked the APC
members of the Senate leadership to avoid a situation that will make
Ekweremadu preside particularly at a critical time when ministers
confirmation hearing is on-going. They argued that in 16 yrs of PDP
dominance of NASS, no member of the opposition ever presided over the
Senate. It is this request that made the Senate leadership to hurriedly
meet and adjourned till Thursday,” The source stated.
All efforts to contact the PDP Spokesperson, Olisa Metuh proved abortive as he did not answer his phone.
The Code of conduct tribunal has however, adjourned the hearing till November 5 and 6.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Senate is conducting rounds of screening for Ministerial nominees.
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