Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The House of Representatives, on Thursday, descended heavily on the Attorney General of the Federation(AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), for his role in the retrial of the Senate President Bukola Saraki, at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).
The House faulted the decision of the AGF to re-arraign Saraki before the chairman of the CCT, Justice Danladi Umar, who is been investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC), for alleged corruption.
The lawmakers expressed concern that Justice Umar, who has earlier been absolved of any wrongdoing, has been charged with a two-count charges of corruption before a FCT High Court by EFCC, noting that there was more to it than meets the eyes.
The lower chamber contended that asking the CCT chairman, to retry Saraki, who he has earlier acquitted, gives the “impression that a game is being arranged to meet certain predetermined result portraying our legal system as capable of being manipulated.”
Consequently, the Green Chamber “condemned the manipulation of our legal system” by the AGF and the acting chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu.
It equally mandated its Committee on Judiciary to interact with Malami to bring sanity to the Senate President’s case at the CCT.
This followed a motion by Hon. Yakubu Barde at Thursday’s plenary on the need to ensure sanity in the administration of justice in the fight against corruption in the country by the AGF.
Leading debate on the motion, Barde said there is something wrong with the decision of the AGF to reassign Saraki’s trial to Justice Umar, especially as the latter has been charged to court for corruption by the EFCC, which is supervised by Malami.
According to the lawmaker, the government must be fair in the prosecution of its anti-graft war.
Hon. Barde argued that the behaviour of the AGF, if not checked, would subject the country to international ridicule.
He urged the House to condemn the actions of the AGF, noting that if Malami does not know what do, he should learn from other Senior Advocates of Nigeria(SANs).
In his contribution, Hon. Ahmed Pategi, described the trial of the Senate President by the CCT as “a case of political victimisation”.
Hon. Pategi stated that Saraki was being haunted by the Executive arm of government for allowing Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, a Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) member to emerge as deputy senate president.
He said if the chairman of the National Assembly could be harassed by the Executive, it meant there is no hope for the common man.
“This is the first time that the tribunal case will be appealed. It is politics. It is manipulation. We as a house should rise to the occassion.
“The EFCC and CCT are political tools used by the present administration to haunt those that they don’t like,” Pategi said.
On their parts, Hon. Sadiq Ibrahim and Gabriel Onyenweife contended that there cannot be justice in a situation where a person under trial is set in judgment over another person.