Supreme Court Fixes February 5th To Deliver Judgement On Saraki's Appeal

The Supreme Court fixed February 5th as the date by which it will deliver judgement on the appeal filed by the embattled Senate President, Bukola Saraki which challenged the decision of the appeal court.  

The deadline was announced after the hearing of the suit by the 7-man panel led by Chief Justice of Nigeria Mahmud Mohammed.

Mr. Saraki’s appeal challenged the Supreme Court to set aside the criminal charges brought against him by

the Code of Conduct Tribunal’s (CCT) false asset declaration case.  The Senate President alleged that the CCT did not possess the competency to properly try him.  He noted that it was constitutionally mandated that any CCT trial must possess three members on its tribunal, yet his tribunal only possessed two members.

The counsel to Mr. Saraki, Joseph Daudu, questioned the legal ability for the CCT to even conduct a criminal trial.  He argued that because the CCT was an administrative panel its jurisdiction, such as it is, only covers breaches of administrative law.  Therefore, Mr. Daudu insisted, the Attorney General must authorize any prosecution of a criminal case.                      

The counsel for the prosecution, Rotimi Jacobs, called upon the Supreme Court to dismiss Mr. Saraki’s appeal arguing that the constitution did, in fact, allow for a tribunal comprised of only two members.  He noted that two members on a tribunal could competently transact legal business and hear any criminal case before them.