– The Senate president, Saraki was disappointed last week when the Supreme Court ruled that his corruption trial at the CCT should continue – Senator Marafa said while the trial continues, Saraki should save the image of the National Assembly by resigning – Another senator, Dino Melaye said there was no need for the Senate president to resign

Senator Kabiru Marafa, a leader of the Unity
Forum has urged Bukola Saraki, the Senate
president to resign honourably while his
corruption trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal
(CCT) continues, before he is disgraced out.
The Unity Forum, a caucus of All Progressives
Congress (APC) opposed to the emergence of
Saraki as the Senate president also includes
Suleiman Hunkunyi and Ahmed Lawan,who was
the favoured candidate for the position by the
party.
Speaking on Saturday in an interview with
Premium Times, Marafa said Saraki had the right
to be presumed innocent until proven
otherwise; yet, he said “before he is disgraced
out” he should “honourably” resign to save the
image of the National Assembly and salvage
national pride.
The outspoken senator was reacting to the
Supreme Court ruling that upheld the trial of
the Senate president at the CCT.
“ The Senate should have understanding with
Senator Saraki. What’s happening at the Code of
Conduct Tribunal has nothing to do with the
Unity Forum; it’s between him and the state and
country’s law says he’s presumed innocent until
proven to otherwise.
“By reason of omission or commission, Saraki
has pushed himself to a position of
disadvantage. By moving from one court to the
other up to the Supreme and got himself
knocked out, what it portrays is that the Senate
under Senator Saraki is fast losing credibility.
“The most honourable thing for Saraki is to
resign and face his prosecution. If he wins, the
seat is always there and he can be re-elected
again if those that supported him truly believe
he is the best person for the position. And if
not, he will remain a senator like he was in the
7th Assembly. Is it a must that he becomes
Senate President?” he queried.
Saraki had said he was disappointed with the
court shortly after the verdict was given.
Reacting to this, Marafa said the Senate
president had no respect for the Supreme Court
as the chief lawmaker of the country.
According to him, Saraki had done a lot of
damage to the Senate, saying, “How do you feel
to see your number 3 man being docked for
corruption charges.”
In response to Marafa’s comments, Senator Dino
Melaye (APC-Kogi State), who speaks for the Like
Minds caucus, a pro-Saraki group of lawmakers
said there was no cause for Saraki to resign.
He said: “ Marafa is a clown and perhaps lives on
cheap drugs. The case at the CCT is not about
Saraki; rather, it’s about the Senate. And we will
not fold our arms to mess up with the Senate.
The Senate is stable and Saraki has the support
of most of the Senators .”
Saraki is facing a 13-count charge of false assets
declaration, which he allegedly made in 2003 as
governor of Kwara state before the CCT.
He had approached the apex court to halt his
trial at the CCT by the federal government,
challenging the jurisdiction of the tribunal on
the ground that it lacked jurisdiction to try him
and that it was not properly constituted.
The Supreme Court had on Friday, February 5,
dismissed Saraki’s appeal against the
competence and constitution of the CCT to try
him for a 13-count charge of false asset
declaration.