Saraki, Senate President

 The Presidency on Sunday distanced itself from  the ongoing trial of the President of the Senate, Sen. Bukola Saraki, by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) which it described as  purely judicial and constitutional.

A statement in Abuja by the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, described the attempt to link the Presidency to the Saraki’s trial as unacceptable.

The statement also frowned at the views to the effect that the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and the Code of Conduct Tribunal could only act upon external instigation.

There is no place in law that the Bureau and the tribunal should take instructions from any quarters, the statement maintained

``As an independent institution equal to any superior court of record, the Tribunal is set up by the constitution to determine the issue of default,  false declaration or forgery in assets declaration.

``This, therefore, is purely a judicial process and has nothing to do with the presidency.

``If anyone has an axe to grind with what they are doing, they should do it in a judicial manner by challenging those actions in a proper court of law.

``Let them hire a good team of lawyers to prove their innocence.

``Government has no desire to persecute anybody,’’ the statement maintained.

It stated that, ``President Buhari has vowed to respect the rule of law and this is what he is doing by staying out of this matter.

``He has said times without number that the war against corruption has no sacred cows.

``Even if the President wants to help, there is no way he can do anything. Is he going to ask the judge to stop the trial?

``It is purely a judicial process, the type of which is routinely dealt with by the CCB and the CCT. There are many cases like this that are going on,’’ the statement maintained.

According to the statement, the President has sworn to an oath to protect the constitution and will not violate that oath.