A Federal Capital Territory High Court has set June 27 for the arraignment of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu and two others charged with forgery of Senate rules.
Saraki is currently facing another trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal for alleged false declaration of asset. In the latest case, Saraki and Ekweremadu are charged with a former Clerk of the National Assembly, Salisu Maikasuwa, and his deputy, Benedict Efeturi, for allegedly falsifying the Senate’s Standing Rules used for electing Saraki in June 2015.
They four accused persons were billed to be arraigned before Justice Yusuf Haliru of the FCT High Court on Tuesday. The arraignment was however postponed following the inability of the office of the Attorney- General of the Federation, to serve them with the originating summons.
The trial judge therefore ordered that the defendants be served with the summons through substituted means. Details of the notice of service, he said, should be placed on the notice board of the National Assembly for access by the respective defendants. The charges say the four accused persons conspired to “forge the Senate Standing Order, 2011 (as amended)”.
