The Code of Conduct Tribunal on Wednesday adjourned the trail of the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki.
The adjournment followed the failure of the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), to show up 45 minutes after proceedings should have commenced.
However, this did not happen before Saraki had filed a fresh application asking the Chairman of the CCT, Danladi Umar, to disqualify himself from presiding over the trial.
Saraki is being tried for alleged failure to fully disclose his assets while he was governor of Kwara State between 2003 and 2011.
The fresh application is coming on the heels of an earlier one dismissed by the Tribunal.
The fresh application was filed on Tuesday.
The fresh application is predicated on the statement by Umar on June 7, 2016 during trial that despite the fact that the defence team was applying time wasting tactics, it would not reduce the consequences of the punishment on the defendant.
He said in response to a complaint by Jacobs on the alleged delay by the defence team during the proceeding: “I am not happy at the delay tactics by the defence counsel and I must say this thing out that this delay tactics will not reduce the consequences the defendant will meet in this tribunal at the end of the trial.”
In the fresh application filed by his lawyer, Kanu Agabi (SAN), Saraki said Umar’s statement would prejudice the outcome of the trial.
When the trial resumed on Wednesday, however, Jacobs was not in court, necessitating an adjournment till next week Tuesday.
Umar equally fixed Tuesday for hearing of the fresh application to disqualify himself from presiding over the trial.
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