In a desperate act to receive public sympathy for his ongoing trial at the
Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), the Senate President Bukola Saraki
allegedly hired street urchins to march in a solidarity protest for him and
condemn his ongoing trial on Tuesday.
The protesters-for-hire gathered at the National Assembly with posters of
Saraki and Ekweremadu and they were openly chanting solidarity songs.
The protesters included truck pushers, okada riders, beggars and thugs.
According to SR, banners belonging to groups, the Coalition of Civil
Society and Media Executives, were carried but no member of the civil
society group or media executive were present at the rally.
The group said that the trial of the Senate President was an act of
victimization and persecution as a result of his stance on anti-corruption
and integrity in the Senate and National Assembly.
The group charged that the time and manner of the prosecution, and the
jurisdiction of the tribunal, were suspect.
They also urged Bukola Saraki not to resign but to persevere because the
allegations against him are false and unfounded.
One of the protesters, speaking to SR anonymously, said he was a
scavenger at Mpape, a suburb of FCT, and decided to join the group
because they promised to give him N1000 each at the end of the rally.
“They brought a big bus to our location in Mpape and asked us to
come and do ‘sai Saraki’ and they will pay one thousand naira,” he
added.
As the situation escalated, and began obstructing human and vehicular
traffic around the National Assembly, the Senate Chairman of the Ad hoc
Committee on Media, Senator Dino Melaye, arrived at the gate to
address the fake protesters.
Immediately the rented protesters were dismissed, some of them were
spotted sharing money and fighting at the Eagle Square.
The CCB has filed 13 charges against Saraki including false declaration
of assets acquired during his tenure as Governor of Kwara State from
2003 to 2011.
Saraki was forced in front of the CCT to respond to these charges before
the case was adjourned to 21st and 22nd October for formal trial.