CCT: Supreme Court Decides Saraki’s Fate Friday

Can the Chairman and a member of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) legally conduct proceedings where the Constitution says it must be constituted by two members and a Chairman? Was the CCT wrong to have assumed jurisdiction over the trial of Senate President, Bukola Saraki,

charged with false asset declaration, without one of its members? These are among the issues to be decided Friday by the Supreme Court as it delivers judgment in the appeal brought before it by Saraki. Saraki’s appeal is against the October 30, 2015 judgment of the Court of Appeal, Abuja which dismissed an earlier appeal by Saraki with which he challenged the jurisdiction of the CCT to try him
for alleged false declaration of assets.Saraki was arraigned before the CCT on September 22 last year on a 13-count charge after much resistance for the Senate President, prompting the tribunal to issue a bench warrant for his arrest.Although he pleaded not guilty to the charge, he subsequently challenged the power of the CCT to try him he challenged the composition of the tribunal and the legality of the charge, which he said was not endorsed by the Attorney general of the Federation (AGF).