Poll: Is Saraki guilty or victim of persecution?
– Senate President, Bukola Saraki is facing charges of abuse of office.
– The Supreme Court has ruled that he must face trial at the CCT.
– He has ignored calls to step down temporarily claiming persecution.
Senate President, Bukola Saraki has refused to step down until his trial is concluded
In the beginning…
The Senate President, Bukola Saraki is in the eye of the storm. Ever since he staged a parliamentary coup during the inauguration of the Eight Assembly, it has been one day one trouble for the embattled Senate president.
READ ALSO: Supreme Court ruled against Saraki
Several months after he was said to have betrayed his party, the All Progressives Congress, Saraki has been in court challenging the charges of not declaring his assets while he was the governor of Kwara State between 1999 to 2007. Now he claims he is being persecuted by the powers that be for his role in the ‘coup’ that enthroned him as Senate leader.
The charges…
Mr. Saraki is accused of offences ranging from anticipatory declaration of assets to making false declaration of assets in forms he filed before the Code of Conduct Tribunal while he was governor of Kwara state.
According to the charges, the Senate President is also accused of failing to declare some assets he acquired while in office as governor. Among other offences, including allegedly acquiring assets beyond his legitimate earnings, Mr. Saraki is also accused of operating foreign accounts while being a public officer – governor and senator.
READ ALSO: Saraki behind budget controversies
The offenses, the charge said, violated sections of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended. Mr. Saraki is also said to have breached Section 2 of the Code of Conduct Tribunal and Tribunal Act and punishable under paragraph 9 of the said Fifth Schedule of the Constitution.
Saraki challenged at the Courts.
Not satisfied with the judgment of the Federal Court which threw out his bid to stop the trial and that of the Appeal Court that affirmed the jurisdiction of the CCT, Saraki proceeded to the Supreme Court where he sough to sought to quash the jurisdiction of the Appeal Court. Yet again, in a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court ruled that Saraka must face trial.
The die is cast
While it is a foregone conclusion that Saraki must face trial, the Senate President has ignored calls that he vacates his position as Senate President claiming that he is being witch hunted. Prominent voices, among whom is the Senior Advocate of Nigeria and fiery lawyer, Fem Falana has continued to call for Saraki to vacate his seat until his culpability is determined, in which case he will be free to continue as Senate President.
But Saraki has remained adamant. Expectedly, in a divided nation like Nigeria, the calls for Saraki to resign has polarized the country. Nigerians have since taken sides. In any case, the Supreme court has ruled and Saraki will face tribunal on March 11.
READ ALSO: Buhari avoids meeting with Saraki
Guilty as charged or victim persecution?
Supporters of the Kwara born politician have continued to claim that he is being persecuted by power brokers in the APC who still doesn’t like the manner of his emergence as Senate President. Even the man at the center of it all, Saraki, recently claimed he is being persecuted for the role he played in the inauguration of the Eight assembly. But the judgement of the Supreme Court may have put a seal on the charges against him.
Saraki currently awaits trial which has been slated for March 11, 2016
In the meantime, do you consider Saraki as a victim? Is he being witch-hunted?
Kindly let us know what you think below.
The post Poll: Is Saraki guilty or victim of persecution? appeared first on Nigeria News today & Breaking news | Read on NAIJ.COM.