Code Of Conduct Tribunal Dismisses Saraki’s Motion To Disqualify Danladi Umar

The Code of Conduct Tribunal has dismissed the motion filed by Senate President Bukola Saraki’s asking the tribunal chairman, Danladi Umar, to disqualify himself from Saraki’s false declaration of assets case. Saraki, had in his motion filed on June 13, 2016 sought the tribunal’s order compelling its chairman to disqualify himself over allegation of a bias statement credited to him during the proceedings of June 7. But ruling on the application, the tribunal, held that the comment credited to him was unverified and that the defence failed to meet the legal standard of proving allegation of bias against a judge. Umar, who read the ruling of the tribunal said the affidavit of “concerned citizens” filed by Saraki to prove the allegation of bias against him was unknown to law.He said, “It is our holding that the defendant/ applicant’s allegation of bias is merely founded on conjecture. “The allegation of bias is a serious issue and it is capable of destroying public confidence in the institution. The affidavit by the concerned citizens does not constitute a standard for proving such serious allegation. “The tribunal upholds that the application of the applicant is not legally founded and it is hereby refused.” Noting that no court apart from the CCT has the jurisdiction to try the cases relating to asset declaration -related breaches, Umar added that asking the chairman to recuse himself was tantamount to closing down the tribunal as “without the chairman, there is no tribunal”.