Saraki: Appeal Court reserves ruling on CCT Jurisdiction for Monday
The Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja, has reserved ruling for 2pm on Monday, October 19 on the appeal brought by the Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki challenging the jurisdiction of the Code of Conduct Tribunal; CCT to entertain the suit brought against him.
Counsel to the appellant J.B.L Ufoh, in a brief filed on October 6, had challenged the jurisdiction of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, on the grounds that the tribunal ought to have obeyed and stayed proceedings when it got an order from the Federal High Court.
Ufoh had maintained that the CCT was not a superior court to the Federal High Court and therefore urged the court to set aside all proceedings, including the charge against Senator Saraki on the grounds that the tribunal was not properly constituted.
Counsel to the respondent, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, in his own brief, filed October 12, argued that if Mr Ufoh was challenging the constitution of the tribunal, it still wasn’t enough reason to affect the case brought before it.
According to him, there was no order by the Federal High Court compelling the Code of Conduct Tribunal not to sit; rather, the appellant had asked for an interim injunction which the Federal High Court denied.
Jacobs stated that it was wrong for the appellant to paint the tribunal as a lawless court that does not obey orders, the lawyer said.
He insisted that the law was misinterpreted and urged Justices M.A. Adumien, J.E Ekanem and M. Mustapha to dismiss the appeal because it lacked merit.
He prayed the court that the right interpretation of the law be upheld.
It would be recalled that the Code of Conduct Bureau had on September 11 slammed a 13-count charge bordering on false asset declaration on Dr. Saraki.
He 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 Bureau, while he was governor of Kwara State.
Justice Adumien reserved judgement for 2pm on Monday, October 19.
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