News Obiaks News

The Media Office of Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki has alerted mem­bers of the public of the renewed attempts being made by forces behind his on-going trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal to muddle up the case and blackmail key individuals and groups involved directly and indirectly in the case.

In a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Senate President on Me­dia, Yusuph Olaniyonu, the Office stated that the forces have since the week­end preceding the resump­tion of the case on Friday been sponsoring various spurious allegations aimed at intimidating members of the Tribunal, lawyers, journalists, legislators, Saraki's loyalists and aides.

"Using the same scare-mongering methods that these devious forces have employed since the com­mencement of the case last September, they have employed an on-line me­dium known for its shady and unethical reputation,  and an­other national newspaper to peddle inaccurate infor­mation aimed at prejudic­ing the coming case and forcing the actors in the case to take certain prede­termined decisions.

"In their desperation, they have been heckling key aides and associates of the Senate President using some unidentified indi­viduals who make phoney calls to the phone numbers of the individuals close to Dr Saraki, trailing the movement of these asso­ciates and giving different interpretations to the ac­tions of these associates, all in a bid to poison the minds of the public against Saraki and to muddy the waters before the case commences on March 11.

"In one of these desper­ate attempts, they have tried to set the tribunal members, prosecution and defence lawyers in the case against one another. Yet again, they have sought to intimidate journalists who they envisaged may be as­signed to cover the case while also seeking to cause disaffection among loyal­ists of the Senate President.

"The people behind these machinations believe they have to intensify these external, dirty campaigns against Saraki as they see that more and more Nige­rians now understand that the trial is about who oc­cupies the office of Senate President and not about any campaign against cor­ruption.