The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki was re-arraigned Thursday before the Code of Conduct Tribunal on a fresh amended 16 counts charge.Saraki, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, also barely one hour after his re-arraignment, served the Tribunal with the copy of an appeal he lodged with the Abuja division of the Court of Appeal against the decision of Justice Danladi Umar not to withdraw himself from his trial.
The Code of Conduct Tribunal had earlier in the day dismissed an application filed on behalf of the Senate President by one of his lawyers, Ajibola Oluyede, asking Umar, its chairman, to disqualify himself from continuing with the trial on the basis that he would be biased because of his investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over an alleged N10 million bribe.
Umar described the application as “absolutely lacking in merit” and dismissed it “in its entirety”
Saraki was initially arraigned by the EFCC on a 13 count charge bordering on false declaration of assets.