From Godwin Tsa, Abuja

The trial of Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, his deputy and Ike Ekweremadu before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was yesterday adjourned to September 28,2016.
They all left immediately after it was announced that the trial would not go on.
They were docked alongside former Clerk of the National Assembly, Salisu Maikasuwa and his deputy, Benedict Efeturi, for allegedly forging the Senate Rule.
They were specifically accused of illegally altering the Senate’s Standing Rule used in electing them into office in June 2015.
Although Saraki and other defendants were in court, the matter was adjourned following the annual vacation of the court which began yesterday.
The defendants were arraigned before Justice Halilu Yusuf on June 27, but entered a plea of not guilty to the two-count charges.
They were admitted to bail and ordered to provide sureties with properties in Asokoro, Garki, Wuse and Maitama areas of Abuja.
The trial was fixed for yesterday, but the court registrar, Victor Ifeachor, told journalists that the case had been adjourned till September 28 following the ongoing vacation of Federal Capital Territory High Court, which began on Monday, July 11.
The Federal Government maintained that they had by their conduct, committed an offence punishable under Section 97 (1) and 364 of the Penal Code Act.
The charge was a fallout of investigation police conducted into a petition by a group of lawmakers under the aegis of the Senate Unity Forum (SUF), who alleged that the Standing Order used for the July 9, 2015, election of principal officers for the 8th Senate, was doctored.
Five members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Senate, Abu Ibrahim, Kabir Marafa, Ajayi Boroffice, Olugbenga Ashafa and Suleiman Hunkuyi, in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/651/2015, sought the removal of Saraki and Ekweremadu. The plaintiffs prayed the court to sack the lawmakers on the ground that the version of the Senate Standing Orders that was used for their election was forged.
In their suit dated July 27, 2015, the plaintiffs, contended that allowing Saraki and Ekweremadu to continue to run the affairs of the Senate regardless of the fact that they emerged through an act of illegality, would on itself amount to corruption.
Cited as defendants in the suit were Saraki, Ekweremadu, the National Assembly and Clerks of the National Assembly.
Though the court had concluded hearing on the matter, however, Ekweremadu filed a petition before the Chief Judge of the High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, alleging bias against the judge that handled the case, Justice Ademola Adeniyi.
In his petition dated December 18, 2015, Ekweremadu, insisted that Justice Adeniyi was closely related to some chieftains of the APC. He specifically identified the national leader of the party and former governor of Lagos State, Ahmed Bola Tinubu as one of the people he said has personal relationship with the Judge.
Ekweremadu queried the ability of Justice Adeniyi to deliver an objective verdict on the matter in view of his alleged closeness with the APC-the party the plaintiffs belong to.
Following the petition which was filed four days after the suit was fixed for judgment, the CJ, re-assigned the case to Justice Evoh Chukwu. Nevertheless, Justice Chukwu died earlier this month, thus leaving the case hanging, waiting to be re-assigned to another judge.