The Supreme Court had penultimate Friday cleared all judicial hurdles placed in the way of the trial as the apex justices ordered Saraki to face trial over allegations of false assets declartion and money laundering leveled against him by the CCT.
Since that ruling, there have been stringent calls for the senate president to resign from office and save the integrity of the legislature while his supporters on the other hand, have opposed such calls arguing that Saraki stands innocent until convicted.
The development has reopened fresh line of battle between senators of the Unity Forum who opposed the election of Saraki as senate president and those of ‘Like Minds’ who rallied support for his victory.
Over the weekend and through Monday, tension was palpable in the senate as senators from both sides of the divide perfected strategies on how to counter each other if the matter is eventually brought on the floor.
But Leader of the Senate, Ali Ndume (APC, Borno State) Monday assured that calls for Saraki’s resignation will not generate any rowdy session at the Senate upon resumption on today.
“I have been in this business for a very long time, I am not expecting any rowdy session, there is no big deal in that. If events happen like this we know how to handle it, you don’t have problem with that.”
He stated: “I am happy to be seen or called a mediator: I am the senate leader and we do consultation, I go to do consultation and we should be doing that more often.
“Why should my presence at the Villa be news? For you information I was at the villa gain today. I cannot be going to the Villa because of Saraki and the issue of Saraki is not a big deal, he is in court accused of certain things, it is the court that will determine his innocence or otherwise.
Ndume vehemently debunked claims that he was in contention to be the next Senate President should Saraki vacate office stressing that he was solidly behind the President o fthe Senate.
