Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, on Friday described his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal as an act of persecution rather than a fight against corruption, saying he would not resign from his position because of it. Saraki said this while delivering the keynote address at the State Craft Masterclass series held during the Social Media Week in Lagos.

The Senate President is standing trial for a 13-count corruption charge including an allegation that he made false declaration of assets on assumption of office as Governor of Kwara State in 2003. Saraki, according to a statement by his Special Assistant on New Media, Mr. Bankole Omishore, however, said his trial was the handiwork of powerful people who were not happy with his emergence as Senate President.

He said, "We are public servants and you must fill your asset declaration form when you get in office and I did mine 13 years ago. "The charges have nothing to do with corruption or money being stolen anywhere. I will have my day in court to prove my innocence of the charge pending against me because it is not about corruption.

"I don't understand how the same organisation that cleared my asset declaration to be proper in 2004, 2009 and 2011 can now say that my record is faulted." He, however, did not mention the names of the persons said to be persecuting him.

Saraki also emphasised the growing influence of social media users in Nigeria's political environment. The Senate President encouraged the audience to continue to contribute to the development of Nigeria through their dialogue and debate on social media.

He said, "Without the involvement of social media, there is no way that we would have moved (away) from a non-performing government because now everything is out in the open unlike years ago."

Saraki commended the online community, which he described as the real 'Chairmen of INEC,' for sourcing election results from polling stations during the general elections and ensuring that the manipulation of vote counts. He said, "It is really thanks to social media that votes counted because you shared the results as they happened."

The Frivolous Petitions Bill, sponsored by the Deputy Senate Leader, Bala Ibn Na'Allah, passed second reading on the floor of both chambers of the National Assembly in December last year while the Senate had fixed March this year for the public hearing. The Senate President also at the event announced that the National Assembly would be more open in its accounts.

Saraki called for continued cooperation and conversation between the government and the public via the social media, and noted that the recent National Assembly Interactive session with Civil Society Organisations was a huge success.