Bukola SarakiThe Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), said on Wednesday it had cleared the man trying Nigeria’s Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, of a bribery allegation, a verdict that will embolden him to continue with the trial of a man seen as the enemy of the ruling party.
Mr. Saraki has been at loggerheads with President Muhammadu Buhari’s political party, his party, the All Progressives Congress, since he contested for and won the position of Senate President, against the wishes of his party leadership.
Shortly after he emerged Senate President, the Code of Conduct Bureau accused him of falsely declaring his assets in 2003. The case has since moved to the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
The Chairman of that Tribunal, Mr. Danladi Yakubu Umar, was also accused of N10 Million bribery allegation by AbdulRashid Owolabi, in his petition to the Commission.
But Wednesday, the EFCC said in a letter that he was clean and cleared of all allegations and could continue trying the man seen as the enemy of the party in power.
The letter was addressed to the Secretary to Government of the Federation, captioned “RE: Investigation Report RE: N10million Bribery Allegation against the Chairman Code of Conduct Tribunal, Abuja” with reference NO: EFCC/P/NHRU/688/V.30/99, dated 20th April, 2016.
The letter which was signed by Emmanuel Adegboyega Aremo, Secretary to the Commission read:, ‘‘kindly recall our correspondence of 5th March, 2015, (reference EFCC/EC/SGF/03/56) with the above subject, please.”
It added: ‘‘We would like to reiterate the Commission’s position in regard to this matter as earlier communicated to you and stated that the allegations leveled against Justice Umar were mere suspicious and consequently insufficient to successfully prosecute the offence.”
Today’s clearance letter was second to the previous one sent on the 5th March,2015 during last of administration of President Goodluck Jonathan through the office of the then Secretary to the Government of the Federation Chief Pius Anyim.