Embattled Senate President Bukola Saraki has said that his ongoing 16-count corruption trial, bordering on false assets declaration, among others at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) is a huge distraction.
Saraki stated that he had resolved to look beyond the distraction to contribute to moving the country forward.
He said: “It (CCT trial) is a distraction. I want to clear my name as soon as possible so that we can move forward. It is a huge distraction.
“As an institution we must look at how to strengthen the judiciary. The fight against corruption must be transparent. It might slow us a little bit down, but I am confident we will make progress.”
Saraki also spoke on the eighth senate, and on his principal focus.
“The group of senators we have now are very patriotic. You can’t compare it to the previous senate. Senators have come there as senators of the federal republic and not as senators of APC or PDP,” he said.
“I’m honoured by the support that they have given me. We are focusing on the economy and on how we can make Nigeria a better place. This is different from before.”