Ebun Francis
Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Daland Umar has refused to withdraw from the trial of Senate President Bukola Saraki. It will be recalled that the senate president had asked the tribunal chairman to withdraw from his trial on the grounds that he was biased, citing the statement where Umar stated that the senate president was afraid of the ‘final consequences’ of the trial. The senate president, made the case through his counsel, Kanu Agabi (SAN).
But in his ruling in Abuja on Wednesday, Umar held that he would not withdraw from the trial because there would be no one to sit in judgment over the case.
“The application to recuse myself has not been contemplated in the constitution. In the absence of a chairman, this trial cannot go on, therefore I cannot recuse myself. The chairman is the tribunal, without the chairman there is no tribunal.” he said.
“The application of the applicant is founded on mere conjecture. The application of the applicant is not well-founded, it is hereby dismissed.”
Justice had earlier in the trial dismissed a similar application from the Senate President.