The no case verdict of Code Of Conduct Tribunal on the asset declaration infractions alleged against the Senate President Bukola Saraki remains a watershed in the anals of jurisprudence in Nigeria.
The case remains novel. First, for the discharge and acquittal awarded by the tribunal chairman whereas the tribunal is constitutionally empowered to discharge and not to acquit.
Secondlys, for a sweeping discountenance of what the prosecution counsel regarded as overwhelming evidence of infractions proven by prosecution witnesses.
It is gratifying that the Federal Government has expressly appealed this judgement thereby leaving no room for speculation as to intervening political nuances.
Allowing the judgement to fly without appeal would have degraded the anti-corruption consonance of the Buhari administration.
The case which is a matter expected to terminate at the Supreme Court would provide an enduring jurisprudential precedence in the administration of Code of Conduct going forward.
Furthermore, it smacks of moral insensitivity for the Senate to have celebrated the rather cold comfort when the case is still open to adjudication by courts of superior jurisdiction.
It is also inchoate to advance the theory of political witch-hunt which would rather embrace a Banana Republic where laws are skewed in favour of a suspect for his perceived political predilections.
The rule of law is preserved when both the victim and the villain are given opportunity for redress based on equity and justice.
Nigerians ought to wish both the prosecution and the defense teams best of luck and insulate the conversation from any extraneous spin pending the apex court’s ruling.
► Bukola Ajisola wrote via [email protected]