
The Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, on Thursday shifted the trial of Senate President, Bukola Saraki, till November 19.
Saraki is facing charges of false assets declaration leveled against him by the Bureau.
Although he was arraigned on September 18, he pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted bail on self recognition.
However, there was a twist when the Code of Conduct Tribunal when hearing resumed on Thursday and all the lawyers representing Saraki withdrew from the case.
The lawyers said they withdrew because they believed that the continuing trial was “an act of judicial rascality”.
But the tribunal insisted that a trial could not be concluded and ruling given until all questions about the case are answered, citing Section 305 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.
Saraki, nonetheless, pleaded with the tribunal for a month-adjournment to reconstitute his defence.
Counsel to the federal government, Rotimi Jacobs, however, kicked against the request, insisting that it was a ploy by the Senate President to “get what he wants”.
The tribunal ruled that it would give the Senate President one week to reconstitute his legal team.
Earlier, Jacobs had notified the tribunal that the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja had dismissed Saraki’s appeal against his trial in its ruling on October 30.
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The Senate President, through his lawyer, Mahmud Magaji, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, urged the tribunal to adjourn the trial and await the decision of the appeal he had lodged before the Supreme Court.
Following his unfavourable Appeal Court verdict, Saraki had filed another appeal at the Supreme Court to halt the proceedings of the Code of Conduct Tribunal in his trail.
