After a barrage of criticisms, the Senate, yesterday, bowed to pressure by rescinding its decision to amend the Code of Conduct Tribunal and the Code of Conduct Bureau Acts. The legislature, which had, within 28 hours, passed the bills seeking amendment of the Acts into first and second reading, respectively, has resolved to suspend further work on the bills.

It also resolved to suspend the Administration of Criminal Justice Act amendment bill and remain firmly with its President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, in his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, until proven guilty. SENATE CHAMBER The Senate equally directed its Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions to immediately suspend further work on the probe of Senator Kabiru Marafa over alleged unethical acts against the Senate.

It asked all senators with pending issues in court against it to immediately withdraw them. The resolutions were reached after a three-hour emergency closed-door session held shortly after commencement of the day’s plenary. The closed session was hurriedly convened, following a point of order by Senator Hope Uzodinma (PDP, Imo East), who said he was not comfortable with the inclusion of the report of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, in respect of a complaint from Senator Isa Misau (APC, Bauchi North) and two others against Senator Kabir Marafa (APC, Zamfara South), in the Senate Order Paper for the day.

The committee had investigated Marafa over a publication in a national daily (not Vanguard) on February 7, for allegedly misleading the public against the National Assembly. After two months of receiving the committee's report, the Senate had scheduled yesterday for consideration of the report.