• Tuesday, March 19, 2024
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BusinessDay

Supreme Court Verdict: Buhari applauds Saraki’s persistence

President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday applauded the painstaking persistence of Senate President, Bukola Saraki in following through all judicial process to prove his innocence over the 18 count charge alleging false asset declaration at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT.

The President, while reacting to Saraki’s acquittal at the Supreme Court, said “the country’s judicial system, no matter the challenges it faces, is truly working”, adding that “no one should be allowed to undermine or break it.”

In a statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President was quoted as saying that “I have seen many instances where individuals and groups seek the destruction of the judicial institution in the foolish thinking of saving their skin, instead of going through the painstaking process of establishing their innocence”.

Buhari noted that “In the case of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, I have seen him take the tortuous path of using the judicial process. He persevered, and in the end, the highest court of the land, the Supreme Court, says he is not guilty as charged”.

“This is what I had done in the three elections in which I was cheated out before God made it possible for me to come here the fourth time I ran for the office.”

He, therefore, concluded that “the Senate President’s journey from the lowest to the highest court of the land provides an important example for Nigerians to emulate.”

The President’s statement followed the Supreme Court judgement upholding the appeal of the Senate President Bukola Saraki where the nation’s apex court held that he has no case to answer before the CCT.

The Senate President has been standing trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal on 18 count charges.

Saraki who however sees his trial as “ political “ had also noted that a total of 1018 Days counting from September 22, 2015, when the case began at the Tribunal was according to him  wasted on his trial instead of being devoted to seeking public good”

“I am happy that I have been vindicated. The Supreme Court has affirmed that there is no evidence of a false declaration of assets. The court also observed that certain agents took over the responsibility of the Code of Conduct Bureau in this trial”