I Won’t Withdraw From Your Case – CCT Judge Tells Saraki

Danladi Umar, chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), has ruled that he will not withdraw from the trial of Senate President Bukola Saraki.

But in his ruling on Wednesday, Umar said 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.

“The application of the applicant is founded on mere conjecture. The application of the applicant is not well-founded, it is hereby dismissed,” he said.

This is the second time, Umar is dismissing Saraki’s application for him to withdraw from the trial.

Saraki had earlier asked Umar to withdraw from the case due to his case with the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

But on Thursday, April 21, Umar had thrown away the application by the Senate president asking him to withdraw from the trial. In the application, Saraki argued that the CCT chairman was biased

Saraki who has been undergoing trial since September 22, 2015 was charged with 16 counts of corruption.

The case has been adjourned till Monday November 7.