Members of the Open Society and Good Governance Initiative call for the suspension of Senate President Bukola Saraki instead of Senator Kabiru Marafa at the National Assembly gate in Abuja yesterday.

Protesters stormed the National Assembly, yesterday demanding the resignation of the Senate President Bukola Saraki over his Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) trial. Saraki is facing a 13-count charge bordering on false assets declaration while he was governor of Kwara State. The case has been fixed for March 10.

The protesters who stormed the entrance of the National Assembly around 10.30 am asked Saraki to resign and concentrate on his trial. Daily Trust correspondent reports that the protesters carried placards some of that read: "Suspend Saraki not Marafa", "Leave the Senate and face CCT trial", "Democracy survives on inclusiveness not suspension" among others. Addressing newsmen, convener of the protest, Mr. Ude Emeka said the moves to suspend Senator Kabiru Marafa (APC, Zamfara Central) negate the tenet of democracy.

He said "Rather than suspending Marafa, Saraki should resign and concentrate on his trial at the CCT. We want to show the leadership of the National Assembly that the Nigeria civil society will stand against any move to suspend any senator because of his or her divergent view."

Our correspondent reports that the Senate Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions Committee yesterday submitted it report on the probe of Marafa. The Senate had last Tuesday mandated the committee to look into the remarks of Marafa supporting former President Olusegun Obasanjo that the National Assembly was corrupt.

When contacted the spokesperson of the Senate, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi said the Senate doesn't work with sycophancy. "We at the senate don’' work with sycophancy; we work with the rule of laws. If Marafa brought people to protest, he should be held responsible. As far as we are concerned, we are operating within the laws and we will continue to uphold the country’s laws," he said.