When it has become changing the goal post in the middle of the play, it is no longer a fair game. There is no let-off in the desperation to conjure evidences and manipulate the law and the bench against the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki.
In the last couple of days, the anti-Saraki forces have been left perplexed and disorganised by the mastery of the defence counsels in the ongoing trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
So far, irredeemable holes have been drilled into the testimony of their star witness (PW1) Michael Wetkas, hence the defeatist rush to amend the charges and add three new counts.
Every aspect of the law has been twisted, including abuse of due process by the willing Chairman of the CCT, Danladi Umar, to sustain a badly defective case till this period.
Although Umar had dismissed the the motion seeking his disqualification from continuing with the trial, but he still has a major hurdle to cross in terms of his compromising conduct as a judicial officer.
According to Section C (1) “A Judicial officer should disqualify himself in a proceeding in which his impartiality might reasonably be questioned, including but not limited to the instance where: (a) he has personal bias or prejudice concerning a party or personal knowledge of facts in dispute.”
Umar has not hidden his personal disdain for Saraki, while his open conduct presiding over the matter has left no one in doubt about his bias towards the President of the Senate. He appears desperate to implement a premeditated agenda.
It is not yet clear if Saraki will be appealing the dismissal of the motion asking the CCT Chairman to recluse himself from the matter. If he does, the matter is expected to drag to the Supreme Court for a major pronouncement.
The prosecution counsel had in the motion prayed the CCT Chairman to recluse himself from the trial, that he is not a fit and proper person to sit in the temple of justice and preside over a case.