Trial of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, for alleged false declaration of asset will commence today, Friday, March 11, 2016.
The trial was initially fixed for Thursday, March 10, 2016, but Saraki’s new lead counsel, Kanu Agabi (SAN) wrote the tribunal for a change of date for a day because he already had other commitments in another court on the initial day.
Before he took over the case, it was handled by Joseph Daudu (SAN), who was the former National Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA.
The shift in date was announced by Head, Press and Public Relations of the CCT, Ibraheem Al-hassan, in a press statement released on Tuesday, March 1, 2016.
The trial date was fixed by the CCT after a Supreme Court sitting in Abuja on February 5, 2016, ruled out Saraki’s appeal to stop his trial at the tribunal.
Saraki had raised objection to the validity of the charges against him as well as jurisdiction of the CCT to try him.
All things being equal, the Senate President will stand before Justice Danladi Yakubu Umar today to answer the 13 counts of alleged false assets declaration between 2003 and 2011 levelled against him.