
The presidency has denied insinuations that President Muhammadu Buhari is behind Senate President Bukola Saraki’s trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal over allegations of corruption, even as it advised him to hire a good lawyer to defend himself.
The Senate President is standing trial on a 13-count charge bordering on anticipatory declaration of assets, false declaration, acquisition of property above his financial capacity as a public officer, among others, to the tune of more than N2 billion.
Saraki is challenging his trial by the CCT, which on Friday issued an arrest warrant against him, terming the case a political witch-hunt, with fingers pointing at President Buhari ostensibly as a result of the cold war existing between the two over how the former emerged as Senate President.
However, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, on Sunday issued a statement absorbing the President of any role in the trial, calling it a judicial process and advising anyone dissatisfied to follow the same process.
“As an independent institution equal to any superior court of record, the tribunal is set up by the constitution to determine the issue of default, false declaration or forgery in assets declaration. This therefore is purely a judicial process and has nothing to do with the presidency,” the statement read.
“If anyone has an axe to grind with what they are doing, they should do it in a judicial manner by challenging those actions in a proper court of law. Let them hire a good team of lawyers to prove their innocence,” shehu stated further in the statement.
The presidency reiterated that the war on corruption has no sacred cows, adding that there is nothing the President can, even do if he wants to help, as he is determined not to violate his oath to protect the constitution.