The appeal court sitting in Abuja has dismissed the appeal of Senate President Bukola Saraki against his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT). The court on Friday dismissed the argument of Saraki that the CCT was not a court of competent jurisdiction to handle the criminal charges preferred against him. “The CCT is a court of criminal jurisdiction, albeit limited jurisdiction,” the court stated.
“The tribunal has power to impose sanctions according to the law. It is a court with specific criminal jurisdiction.”
Regarding whether the CCT was properly constituted to try Saraki, the three-man panel of judges led by Justice Moore Adumein held that the tribunal was properly constituted to try the senate president.
Adumein stated that the two-man panel of the CCT was the minimum quorum required according to the interpretation act to sit in judgment on any issue; hence the tribunal did not err in law to commence trial against Saraki with a two-man panel.
