The
embattled Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has denied going into hiding to
evade police arrest over the corruption charges he is facing before the Code of
Conduct Tribunal.
He
also denied planning to defect from the All Progressives Congress, APC, on
whose platform he won the March 28 poll to the upper legislative chamber.
The
Tribunal had on Friday ordered the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase,
to arrest Mr. Saraki and produce him on Monday following the failure of the Senate
President to appear before it to answer a 13-count criminal charge preferred
against him by the Federal Ministry of Justice.
The
senate president, through his lawyers, however approached the Court of Appeal
immediately, requesting it to set aside the order for his arrest.
The
media aide to Senate President, Yusuph Olaniyonu, told Premium Times in a
telephone interview on Sunday that the senate president was not in hiding as
being speculated, but merely travelled to his home town in Ilorin.
He
explained that Mr. Saraki, who represents Kwara Central Senatorial District,
made the trip to calm tension that had built up among his constituents and
attend to other engagements.
“How
can he be hiding? He traveled to Ilorin to pray and calm frayed nerves and
attend to some engagement,” Mr. Olaniyonu said.
“He
will return today (Sunday) to the Guest House to which he moved when a section
of his house got burnt some weeks ago. You know he moved to the Guest house
before the issue of Code of Conduct arose and so it was not because of the
issue he moved.”
Mr.
Olaniyonu said he was not aware that a bench warrant had been issued though he
could not confirm if the senate president would appear before the Tribunal on
Monday.
According
to him, it is only Mr. Saraki’s lawyers that could provide answer to that. He
said the matter may come up at the High Court, the Court of Appeal and the CCT
on Monday.
- Premium Times
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