Nigeria’s Senate President, Bukola Saraki, will face trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), a 7-man panel at the Supreme Court has ruled.
The apex court rejected his appeal challenging the decision of the Appeal Court which upheld his trial at the tribunal.
A three-judge panel of the Supreme Court led by a retiring Justice John Fabiyi had on December 4, 2015, ordered a stay of proceeding by the Tribunal pending the determination of Mr. Saraki’s appeal.
The court also asked counsel on both sides to submit their briefs of argument within 14 days.
The court then fixed February 5, 2016, to deliver its judgement.
Mr. Saraki’s appeal before the country’s apex court contends that the CCT lacks jurisdiction to try him, arguing that the tribunal was not duly constituted as it comprised two instead of three members provided for by the Constitution.
Saraki’s lawyers claim that the charges against Mr. Saraki were not competent.
A panel of Nigeria’s Court of Appeal had earlier, in a split decision, affirmed the jurisdiction of the tribunal to try Mr. Saraki.
In a reaction, Saraki expressed his disappointment with the Supreme Court ruling.
In a statement signed by his media adviser, Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki however, said he will have his day in the court to prove his innocence of the charges preferred against him during the trial proper.
He reiterated the fact that the substantial matter is not before the Supreme Court since the apex court was only invited to rule on some preliminary issues.
