Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has finally been docked by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) sitting in Abuja, the Nigerian capital.

He reluctantly entered into the access box minutes ago before Justice Danladi Umar, who twice in the past week insisted on the Senate President’s physical apearnce before the tribunal. He was, however, allowed to sit in the dock as the charges against him were read out.

Saraki, who is accompanied to the tribunal by Deputy Senate President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu, and two bus loads of senators, is facing a 13-count charge bordering on alleged corruption and false declaration of assets, levelled against him by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB). He is alleged to have failed to declare some assets during his tenure in office as Kwara State Governor from 2003 to 2011.

Saraki was originally orderd to appear before the tribunal last week Friday but he failed to do so, prompting Justice Umar to direct IGP Arase to arrest and produce him before the tribunal yesterday – an order which was obeyed in the breach. The CCT Chairman repeated the order but there was no need for its execution as Saraki volunteered to show up this morning

•Photo shows Senate President Bukola Saraki seated in the dock, responding to the charges against him . . . minutes ago at the CCT in Abuja.