Buhari has no hands in Saraki trial: Presidency

President Muhammadu Buhari has dissociated himself from ongoing trail of Senate President Bukola Saraki by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

CCT has slammed over a 13-count criminal charge  against Saraki on account of alleged false declaration of assets.

Buhari through a  statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said the courts have a duty to perform.

Not a few Nigerians believe that the Presidency is prodding the courts against Saraki,  whom the ruling All progressives Congress has an axe to grind with.

The president added that the speculation that CCB and CCT only act on external influence was unfounded.

The statement said “that there is no place in law that the Bureau and the tribunal should take instructions from any quarters.”

According to him, “as an independent institution equal to any superior court of record, the tribunal is set up by the constitution to determine the issue of default, false declaration or forgery in assets declaration.

Shehu said that the matter was purely a judicial process and had nothing to do with the presidency and advised the affected parties to also use the courts to acquit themselves of the allegations.

According to Shehu, the president can not interfere with the judicial process by stopping the Judge, reiterating President Buhari's avowed commitment in the fight against corruption no matter whose ox is gored, adding that the President has sworn to protect the constitution.

“If anyone has an axe to grind with what they are doing, they should do it in a judicial manner by challenging those actions in a proper court of law. Let them hire a good team of lawyers to prove their innocence.

“Government has no desire to persecute anybody. The President has vowed to respect the rule of law and this is what he is doing by staying out of this matter. He has said times without number that the war against corruption has no sacred cows.

“Even if the President wants to help, there is no way he can do anything. Is he going to ask the judge to stop the trial?

“It is purely a judicial process, the type of which are routinely dealt with by the CCB and the CCT. There are many cases like this that are going on.

“The President has sworn to an oath to protect the constitution and will not violate that oath”, Shehu said in the statement.

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