By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

ABUJA—The Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, sitting in Abuja yesterday, deferred further hearing on all the cases pending before it till September. Prominent among the cases are the 16-count criminal charge the Federal Government slammed against the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki.

Saraki in court

The tribunal had fixed today to deliver ruling on a fresh application seeking to disqualify its chairman, Justice Danladi Umar, from presiding over Saraki’s trial. However, the CCT, via a statement by the Head of its Press and Public Relations Department, Mr. Ibraheem Al-hassan, said it had adjourned all sittings scheduled for this week.

It read: “The decision was taken due to the ongoing roundtable involving CCT and other critical stakeholders within and outside the country, to develop the Code of Ethics and Practice Directions for the Code of Conduct Tribunal to ensure fair and speedy trials, sponsored by European Union, EU, and implemented by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC.”

Justice Umar, however, assured litigants currently with cases before the court that they would be given new dates at the end of the vacation in September. He said the new dates would be communicated to those whose cases were pending before the tribunal. The tribunal had, on June 22, adjourned to rule on Saraki’s fresh bid to disqualify Justice Umar from presiding over his trial.

Saraki, in the application he filed through his consortium of lawyers, led by a former Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), asked Justice Umar to hands off his trial, saying remarks the judge made in the open court on June 7, indicated his bias against the defendant.

He noted that Justice Umar had threatened that the defendant would face the full consequences of charges against him despite whatever delay tactics he chose to employ in the course of the trial. It was the contention of the defence that the threat by Umar was a clear indication that the tribunal had made up its mind to convict the defendant at all cost.

Meanwhile, government vehemently opposed Saraki’s motion, even as it urged the tribunal to dismiss it for want of merit. Through its lead counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), government accused Saraki of attempting to use “frivolous motions” to frustrate his trial.