Senate President Bukola Saraki

The Court of Appeal, Abuja will deliver judgment on Friday, 30 October  in the appeal by Senate President, Bukola Saraki over his trial for  alleged false asset  declaration at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

Saraki  wants the appellate court stop his trial at the CCT, where he has  been charged on 13-counts  with false asset declaration.

Judgment was initially fixed for 19 October, but was postponed at the 11th hour, with the court promising to communicate a new date to parties.

Notices were sent to parties informing them about Friday’s date, The Nation reported.

Arguing the appeal on October 16, Saraki’s lawyer, Joseph Daudu (SAN), urged the appellate court to set aside the entire proceedings before the CCT, including the charge before it.

He argued that the CCT was not properly constituted on when it assumed jurisdiction to entertain the charges because it was made up of two members as against three, which is provided for in Paragraph 15(1) of the Fifth Schedule to the Constitution.

Daudu contended that the provision of Section 28 of the Interpretation Act relied upon by the respondents to argue that the tribunal could validly sit with its Chairman and one other member, was a contradiction of the three-member provision in the Constitution.

He also argued that the tribunal not being a superior court recognised by the Constitution could not exercise criminal jurisdiction.