Reacting to the several calls for Saraki’s resignation, including
from another United Kingdom based group, the body said facts in the
public domain “clearly proves that the Senate President is the
victim of persecution that is being made to look like prosecution for
alleged corruption offences.”
Read 9 major highlights of the groups statement as issued by its representative, Collins Achaluda below:
1. The supposed trial of Senator Bukola Saraki was already concluded
and a guilty verdict passed in the media and court of public opinion
before the Code of Conduct Tribunal sitting properly got underway.
2. The conduct of the Tribunal chairman, Mr Danladi Umar, has clearly
betrayed the secret trial that has been held with a verdict already
agreed to going by the way he regularly suffers outbursts of rage
whenever Saraki’s defence counsels table facts before him.
3. Those citing the example of the former Prime Minister of Iceland,
Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson, who resigned over the Panama Papers affair
are being clever by half as they failed to also mentioned the British
Prime Minister, David Cameron, who has continued in office despite
protests for him to step down after being linked to offshore assets in
the Panama Papers leak.
4. Our firm belief is that leaders that are committed to improving
the life of citizens must not cave in because of pressure from
blackmailers who package their selfish interests to look like something
driven by popular demand.
5. It has also emerged that the Senate President’s opposition to a
planned Muslim/Muslim ticket was the main thing that made him enemies
with those in the corridors of powers who think he had cut short their
own ambitions.
6. Politics should not be played like this. It should not be about
abusing state institutions to score personal scores and to persecute
those who out of consideration for what is best for nation refused to
support anti-people concepts.
7. The concept remains innocent until proven in Nigeria but this has
not been the situation in Senator Saraki’s case as his accusers sustain a
campaign to boot him out of office for allegations he has not been
convicted for. How can one be innocent when his accuser is both the
judge and the witness?
9. The federal government who is persecuting him has its
attack dog, which is the EFCC as their ring leader while Danladi Umar,
another jury who was caught red handed in a bribery allegation is the
same time the jury to deliver a judgment to save his face. This is
unfair.
The group warned that critical national institution like the CCT may
be irreparably damaged if they are continually deployed as instrument of
oppression as opposed to anti-corruption assets that they are meant to
be.
