Strong facts emerged yesterday on how an ex-aide of a former Governor of Kwara State orchestrated protest in Ilorin to discredit Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki over his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

Besides, Personal Assistant to a serving Minister in President Muhammadu Buhari's cabinet identified simply as Williams and another aide of a former commissioner in the state from Ifelodun Local Government are also fingered in the 'well-oiled plot' to discredit Saraki, whose trial has been widely described as political persecution.

The duo has allegedly concluded arrangement with some top members of the APC in the country to continue the protest this week, National Pilot gathered on Sunday. According to findings last night by our reporter, the anti-Saraki's collaborators are among ranks of aggrieved APC members who have allegedly recruited demonstrators from Lagos and other neighboring states ahead of the continuation of the protest this week.

It was further gathered that security agencies in the concerned states have been notified of the plans to carry out the stage manage protest. The aim, a highly place source who confided in this medium over the issue last night, said was to discredit the senate president at home to give the impression that "most Kwarans are in support of the trial of Saraki at the CCT."

On Thursday, some demonstrators in Ilorin under the aegis of Movement for Genuine Change on the state of affairs in Kwara were turned back at the NUJ press centre form using the facility as that venue of their protest. Led by a former aide of ex-governor in the state who is said to be very close to a former governorship aspirant of the PDP, Tunde Muhammed, the group later proceeded to use the flower garden for the protest.

Tunde Muahmmed is from Ogidi ward in Ilorin West Local government of the state. It would be recalled that a national leader of the APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu had allegedly embarked on a mission to split the APC in the state and recruited some APC and PDP members.

"The plan is to discredit Saraki especially from his base at home to paint a picture that his kinsmen and Kwarans are happy and in support of the trial. "It was meant to be anchored by a persona assistant of a serving minister in the federal cabinet named Williams and another aide of a former commissioner in the state.

"They were scheduled to storm the state with hired demonstrators recruited from Lagos and other neighbouring state today to continue the anti-Saraki demonstration. But the concerned security agencies have been notified about the plot", the source added.

Another source who also spoke on the issue described Thursday's protest as the handiwork of some PDP and "disgruntled" APC members in the state who are against the Senate President in collaboration with some national officers of the party. The source added that "Yes, last protest was a jointly organised by some PDP and disgruntled APC members who against the senate president. They are trying to use the ongoing trail to want to make a point to the outside world that Saraki has lost popularity in his home state"

Meanwhile the Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Sunday raised the alarm that desperate politicians have hijacked the Code of Conduct Tribunal, warning that the judiciary may throw the country into needless chaos and pandemonium.

In a statement issued in Ilorin by its Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Sulyman Buhari on Sunday, and made available to National Pilot in Ilorin, the party said the President should not be seen to be watching helplessly when politicians hijack a crucial arm of the government to carry out political vendetta against perceived political adversaries.

It said "for anyone who ever doubted our position that the trial of the Senate President is not an anti-corruption drive but political persecution and witch-hunt, the ruling of the Tribunal on Thursday is the clearest signal that what the Senate President is going through is nothing but political persecution at the Tribunal. It added that it also shows that the CCT is being manipulated and remote-controlled by some desperate politicians. The statement read in part:

"It is now clear and glaring that due process has not been followed and the CCB has broken its own laws. "Nigerians should note that the CCT under Justice Umar Danladi discharged and acquitted a leader of APC in 2011 based on Section 3 (d) of the CCB/CCT Act. Why is the Senate President’s motion on the same Section 3 (d) of the CCB/CCT Act being denied by the same tribunal under the same Judge?

In carrying out its hatchet agenda, the tribunal didn't mind the implications of turning the law and its own precedent upside down. Anyone who watches the proceedings of the tribunal meticulously on Thursday would be convinced the tribunal has an hidden agenda and pre-determined conclusion. Therefore, we have lost hope in the CCT and its judges as presently constituted". It also frowned at intimidation of judges by media blackmailers reportedly sponsored by agencies of government and politicians.

It said the Chief Justice of Nigeria should note the rascality of judicial officers and these clear inconsistencies. "The CCT has been hijacked by politicians and we are concerned that the judiciary is about to throw our beloved country into avoidable chaos and pandemonium. The statement also noted that the silence of the leadership of "our party is no longer golden"

...Saraki will complete term, has 95% support of Senators - Sen. Ibrahim

Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim representing Yobe East Senatorial District in the Senate has said that the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, has the full support of ninety-five percent of the Senators in the Red Chambers of the National Assembly, despite his ongoing trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal. The Yobe Senator, who stated this in an interview in Abuja, maintained that Saraki will complete his term as the President of the 8th Senate. According to the third-term Senator and former Governor of Yobe State, the leadership crisis that brought about factions in the Senate can be said to have been largely resolved.

He said noted that the crisis has been substantially reduced to a very minimal level adding that the party will wait for the outcome of the court case. According to him, the senate is generally peaceful and the debate of national issues on the floor of the senate transcends party lines.

He said he is "confident that Bukola Saraki will complete his term because he would not support the idea of stepping aside. "95% of the Senators in the Senate are fully behind the Senate President, Bukola Saraki. So, the issue of stepping aside does not arise. In any case, this court case nobody knows when it will end. They might even go on and on and on until his term is over. So nobody can really say."

Speaking on the economic situation in the country for which Nigerians are not smiling, Senator Ibrahim appealed for patience, as according to him, President Muhammadu Buhari is working hard to make things better for the people.