The Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja, on Friday adjourned the ruling on the appeal brought by Senate President, Bukola Saraki. Counsel to the appellant J.B.L Ufoh, in a brief filed on October 6, challenged the jurisdiction of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, saying the tribunal ought to have obeyed and stayed proceedings when it got an order from the Federal High Court.
He further stated that the CCT was not a superior court to the Federal High Court and therefore urged the court to set aside all proceedings, including the charge against Senator Saraki on the grounds that the tribunal was not properly constituted.Counsel to the respondent, Rotimi Jacobs, in his own brief, filed October 12, argued that if Mr Ufoh was challenging the constitution of the tribunal, it still wasn’t enough reason to affect the case brought before it.
He further added that there was no order by the Federal High Court compelling the Code of Conduct Tribunal not to sit; rather, the appellant had asked for an interim injunction which the Federal High Court denied.
Therefore it was wrong for the appellant to paint the tribunal as a lawless court that does not obey orders, the lawyer said.
Mr. Jacobs insisted that the law was being misinterpreted and urged Justices M.A.A Adumien, J.E Ekanem and M. Mustapha to dismiss the appeal because “arguing it lacked merit”.
He prayed the court that the right interpretation of the law be upheld.
The Code of Conduct Bureau had on September 11 slammed a 13-count charge bordering on false asset declaration on Mr. Saraki.
He is accused of offences ranging from anticipatory declaration of assets to making false declaration of assets in forms he filed before the Code of Conduct Bureau, while he was governor of Kwara State.
Justice Adumien reserved judgement for 2pm on Monday, October 19.
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