Abubakar Bukola Saraki, former president of the Nigerian Senate, on Saturday, expressed gratitude after winning another “politically-motivated” corruption case at the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court overturned the 2018 decision of the Federal High Court regarding an alleged N3.5 billion fraud case against Melrose General Services Limited, allegedly linked to Mr Saraki.

Mr Bukola, reacting on his X handle, said, “as much as this case was between the EFCC and Melrose General Services Limited, it was a proxy war, with Melrose serving as a mere pawn in a larger scheme to victimise and persecute me. It was always clear that this case, just like my CCT case, was a thinly veiled attempt by the Buhari administration to use the EFCC for political gain.”

On April 27, 2018, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) received a judgement for the final forfeiture of N1.4 billion, which it alleged Melrose General Services Limited obtained from the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) through false claims.

“The allegations of “Paris Club Fraud” were nothing more than a smokescreen designed to weaken my office as President of the Senate and tarnish my reputation through spurious accusations similar to the Code of Conduct Tribunal, from which I was also acquitted.

“As I said at the CCT, this case too was a politically motivated attack, not on corruption, but on the very foundations of our democracy. It aimed to undermine the independence of the judiciary, the separation of powers, and checks and balances—principles I have always fiercely defended. They hoped that by targeting me, they could sow discord within the legislature, turning colleagues against each other, ultimately weakening the institution of the Senate, and silencing dissenting voices.

According to Mr Bukola, the court’s decision has brought a long and arduous legal ordeal to a just and welcome conclusion, proving his innocence. He thanked God for guiding the Court to the “righteous verdict” and commended the Judiciary for a job well done and for ensuring that justice prevailed.

“I am profoundly grateful to Almighty Allah (SWT), the ultimate arbiter of justice, for guiding the Supreme Court to this righteous verdict. I commend the judiciary for their meticulous examination of the evidence and adherence to due process, which has ensured that justice prevailed. I also thank Melrose’s legal team for their tireless efforts in seeing this case to a just conclusion.”

Finally, Mr Bukola advised everyone to be inspired by the court’s verdict and be steadfast in the fight against corruption and abuse of power in order to promote Nigeria’s democracy.

“Moving forward, we all have to canvass for fairness in the fight against corruption. We should see this verdict as an inspiration to champion the rule of law, promote democracy and its institutions, and tolerate divergent views, Mr Bukola said.