CCT chairman throws Saraki’s lawyer out of tribunal

The Chairman of the Code of Conduct (CCT) Tribunal, Danladi Umar has asked security operatives to throw out Raphael Oluyede, one of the lawyers representing Senate President Bukola Saraki, for talking back at him.

Umar also “threw away” an application by Saraki asking him to withdraw from his trial.

Speaking on the application, the CCT judge said: “This motion filed by a mere busy body legal practitioner is not accepted by this tribunal.

“Members of the inner bar, you are to guide him. How can you allow such a rubbish thing from him?

“This motion is of no consequence. As far as this tribunal is concerned is thrown away.”

A verbal melee had ensued when Oluyede asked the tribunal to give him room to speak on the application.

But Umar over ruled his request and ordered him to sit down.

Oluyede refused to obey the order, a shouting match then started.

In the heat of the argument, an angry Umar ordered police officers at the tribunal to throw his “challenger” out.

The courtroom immediately broke into loud murmurs, and tension was palpable. However, the presence of security men stopped the situation from degenerating any further.

In the application filed by Oluyede, and seen by TheCable, the senate president asked Umar to disqualify himself from the case on the grounds that he was biased.

The application, which was filed on Wednesday at the CCT, read in part: “An order disqualifying/recusing the Honourable Justice Danladi Umar (Chairman of this tribunal) from sitting on the panel of this tribunal for hearing and determination of the charges filed in these proceedings for the reason that his continued presence on the said panel of this tribunal offends the provisions of section 36 (1) of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria which prescribes that ‘In the determination of his civil rights and obligations, including any question or determination by or against any government or authority, a person shall be entitled to a fair hearing within a reasonable time by a court or other tribunal established by law and constituted in such manner as to secure its independence and impartiality.’

“A likelihood of bias by the tribunal against the appellant… undermines and withdraws from the tribunal, the jurisdiction which it is normally endowed….”