Nigeria's senate president embroiled in new forgery scandal

Nigerian Senate President Bukola Saraki, who is mired in series of criminal charges that bordered on corruption, false declaration of assets, and illegal operation of a foreign bank account while in office as a public servant, will soon be arraigned for allegedly forging the Senate Standing Rules.

A Nigerian court in Abuja on Tuesday picked June 27 for the arraignment of the Senate President, his deputy Ike Ekweremadu, and other senators for allegedly forging the Senate Standing Rules.

The defendants will be arraigned on a two-count charge of criminal conspiracy and forgery.

Justice Yusuf Halilu fixed the date after ordering substituted service of the charges on the defendants.

In a move to stop the arraignment, the Senate has summoned the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), who is also the Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, over the planned prosecution of Saraki and Ekweremadu for allegedly forging the Senate Standing Order 2015.

In a similar move, the House of Representatives also rose in defence of the Senate leadership, saying that the Federal Government should desist from its bid to prosecute them over forgery allegations.

The lower chamber said dragging Saraki and Ekweremadu to court did not only amount to interfering with the "internal affairs" of the Senate, but was also part of a plot to cripple the institution of the National Assembly.

In a resolution, the House specifically urged President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene by cautioning top officials of his administration and stop them from "progressing in error".

On its part, Nigeria's ruling party said it will conduct an investigation into the alleged case of forgery against some principal officers of the Senate.

Saraki is being prosecuted by the government before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) on 16 counts, including false and anticipatory declaration of asset, which he allegedly made between 2003 and 2011 when he served as the Governor of Kwara State.

He is also accused of operating foreign accounts as a public officer and of receiving governor's salary in addition to his salary as a senator for some periods after completing his two terms as governor and got elected as a senator. 
Source;XInhuA