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Tag: Kwankwaso

  • Kano APC Chair makes U-turn, says I was put under duress to indict Kwankwaso

    Kano APC Chair makes U-turn, says I was put under duress to indict Kwankwaso

    A fresh twist has been added to the crisis between Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and his predecessor, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso.

    Chairman of the Kano State chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Alhaji Umar Haruna Doguwa, has alleged that he was put under duress by the state government to issue a press statement and also addressed a press conference where he indicted Kwankwaso of allegedly sponsoring armed thugs during his condolence visit to Ganduje town to commiserate with the governor over his mother’s death.

    While dissociating from a press statement he earlier purportedly issued on the crisis, Doguwa said: “That the previous press statement read and signed by me was not written by my humble self, neither did I participate in the drafting, but rather, I was coerced to sign under duress and under a close marking by the state apparatus. What makes it more curious for me to recant this is the fact that the Elders Committee is not part of the party executive; hence, procedurally, we cannot issue a joint statement. I, therefore, consider this as an oversight on the part of the party to issue such statement.”

    According to him, the state government “has confused purely social event with politics. The visit by the former governor, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, to condole his former deputy, who is now the governor of our great state, has been politicised out of proportion. We have observed this with concern that this action is capable of pitching our members against one another.”

    Doguwa noted that other politicians, including those from the opposition parties who came on a condolence visit with a handful of followers exhibited similar activities which Senator Kwankwaso is being accused of, adding, “In order to forestall unpleasant consequences on the party and its teeming supporters, I find it necessary to profusely apologise on the statement earlier issued and hereby withdraw that statement. The said press statement, which I hereby disassociate from, is indeed a product of warped and mischievous elements, whose stance and antics are causing confusion and disunity amidst the rank and file of our great party and the administration of Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje.”

     

  • I ‘ve no links with Ganduje mob, says Kwankwaso

    The immediate past Governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, yesterday disowned  the mob said to have brandished  weapons during his visit to Ganduje to condole with Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje on the death of his mother.

    He also asked the state government not to cause disaffection between him and President Muhammadu Buhari.

    He said the state government should concentrate on delivery of democratic dividends rather than chasing shadows.

    Kwankwaso made his feelings known in a  statement through his Political Adviser, Dr.  Yunusa Adamu Dangwani, saying he had avoided Kano since May 29, 2015 when he handed over power “so as to give the government of H.E Abdullahi Umar Ganduje space and time to settle down.”

     He added:”The news of the demise of Hajiya Fatima Umar Ganduje came to Senator Kwankwaso as a great shock which, according to traditional norms necessitated the visit to Kano to condole with the governor, government and people of Kano State, especially considering the close ties as his former deputy for eight years and also his former Special Adviser as Minister of Defence.

    “He, therefore, found it pertinent to personally visit Kano to condole with the governor, his family and the people of Kano State for the repose of her soul.

    “He deliberately gave short notice for the condolence visit, but was pleasantly surprised by the turnout of the good people of Kano who came to receive him at the Malam Aminu Kano Airport and escorted him to Ganduje village.”

    He expressed surprise  “that some local people brandished local weapons, not minding the sombre occasion.  It is unfortunate that they could not be chided, thus we left them with their weapons at Ganduje.

    “It is, therefore, appalling and rather unfortunate that the good gesture of Sen. Kwankwaso has been mischievously interpreted wrongly.

    “It is also disheartening that a few hours after the death of our state Deputy Chairman, Alhaji Isa Ali Danmaraya, the government was busy coercing and misleading some party leadership into addressing a press conference that will only culminate in splitting the APC in Kano.

    “Furthermore, it is apt at this juncture to call on the Kano State government to desist from dragging the name of President Muhammadu Buhari to cover for their administration’s obvious weaknesses, but rather strive to concentrate on facing the enormous challenges of governance such that perhaps he may also be revered and respected by the good people of Kano State.”

  • APC to sanction Kwankwaso for indiscipline

    The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State said yesterday that it would sanction ex-Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso for acts of indiscipline associated with his visit to the state.

    The Nation reports that Senator Kwankwaso, who came to Kano on a chartered private jet, went to Ganduje, hometown of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, to commiserate with him on the death of his mother, but turned the visit to a rally for his 2019 presidential ambition.

    At a news conference by Alhaji Haruna Umar Doguwa, the APC chairman and Alhaji Audu Kirare, the acting chairman, Elders Committee, the party said Kwankwaso would be investigated and dealt with in accordance with the party’s constitution.

    They said: “Senator Kwankwaso’s hired crowd climbed the fence, broke iron barriers and destroyed security scanners at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano.

    “The thugs distributed presidential campaign posters and car stickers, which read: ‘Kwankwasiyya 2019’, ‘Engr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaspo for President, Federal Republic of Nigeria’”.

    The APC chieftains went on: “Kano State APC Executive Committee and Elders condemn the character and texture of the Kwankwaso condolence visit and its objective as a launch pad of his presidential ambition campaign, which was unfounded. We wish to state that there is no presidential vacancy in the first place. Our loyalty and commitment is to our able President Muhammadu Buhari and his policies and programmes.

    They said the party sent a letter of complaint to the commissioner of Police and director, Department of State Services (DSS).

  • Vitapur’s prefab can bridge housing gap, say Ajimobi, Kwankwaso, others

    Oyo State government and the Lagos State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Builders have endorsed the new pre-fabricated building by Vitapur Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of Vitafoam Nigeria Plc. Besides, they praised Vitafoam for its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy, which  addresses fundamental needs of humanity, despite the ‘harsh’ operating environment.

    At the inauguration of the two pre-fabricated buildings donated by  Vitafoam Group to the Government College in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, Governor Abiola Ajimobi, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mrs. Aderonke Makanjuola, described the firm’s gesture as a strategic way  to take care of one of the basic needs of people.

    The governor said the CSR was the hallmark of sacrifice that  organisations could give back to the society that had done well for them.

    While recommending the pre-fabricated buildings to everyone, he said: “I would like to say a big thank you to the Board, management and staff of the Vitafoam Group for donating these two Pre- fabricated buildings constructed by Vitapur Nigeria Limited along with full furniture such as Sofas, Kitchen cabinets, Ward robes Mattresses and Pillows supplied by other Vitafoam subsidiaries to complement the edifices donated to the Government College Ibadan.”

    In what also amounted to an endorsement by all  builders, the chairman, Lagos State Institute of Builders, Mr. Ashimiyu Bashir declared that pre-fabricated buildings were of interest to all builders in globally.

    At the same occasion,  the former governor of Kano State, Senator Musa Rabiu Kwankwanso also commended Vitapur Nigeria Limited for the innovative pre-fabricated buildings and explained that it would be an option to the Federal Government in its efforts to address housing deficit in Nigeria

    The Managing Director, Vitafoam Group, Mr. Taiwo Adeniyi, explained that Vitapur Nigeria Limited had blazed the trail by acquiring a new state-of-the-art sandwich panel production line, which can produce a maximum length of 14.7 metre with varying thickness, the first of its kind in West Africa.

    According to him, Vitapur Sandwich panels can be used for constructing pre-fabricated structures; cold rooms; equipment shelters; quick shelter development; office partitioning; shopping malls; drop temp ceilings and others. Commenting on the benefits of rigid insulation board, Adeniyi said: “Vitapur Polyurethane Rigid Insulation board comes in various facings depending on intended application. These Insulation boards can be used as wall, floor and roof insulation. For new buildings, boards are usually used over the purlin before the roofing sheets while Vitapur spray foam application is preferred for existing roofs.”

    Adeniyi, who described Vitafoam as an integrated system, said all its subsidiaries are contributing effectively to the innovative products. He further stated that the inherent adaptability and durability of Vitapur’s prefabricated building units’ means that buildings can be developed to fulfill the needs of even the most demanding or obscure applications, creating functional buildings that are time and cost efficient, durable, adaptable and sustainable.

    Vitafoam Chairman, Dr. Dele Makanjuola explained that the project was borne out of the Corporate Social Responsibility that Vitafoam had got accustomed to and also to showcase another arm of the company’s business.

    Makanjuola noted that the company’s foam products are faster, easier and more efficient to mass housing construction in Nigeria.

    According to him, it has also proved that mass housing for our beloved country and Nigerians can be achieved faster, cheaper and with more effective and efficient means. He emphasised the uniqueness of prefabricated building in the area of insulation and stated that Vitapur had gone commercial in the production of panels for constructing pre-fabricated buildings.

  • People making secessionist threat should shut up, says Kwankwaso

    People making secessionist threat should shut up, says Kwankwaso

    •Senator seeks education for Fulani herdsmen 

    Former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has asked Yoruba leaders threatning to secede over the kidnap of former Secretary to the Government of Federation Chief Olu Falae to “shut up”.

    Kwankwaso, who is a senator, said at the weekend that the call was misguided and politically motivated.

    He stressed that no zone could be an island, adding that what the Fulani herdsmen that were being asked to leave Yoruba land needed was education on how to go about their cattle-rearing business.

    He spoke in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital at the weekend as a special guest at the Silver Jubilee Celebration of the set of 1965-1971 of Government College, Ibadan. The event witnessed the inauguration of two sets of pre-fabricated staff buildings donated by Vitafoam Nigeria Plc to the institution.

    The former governor said: “The issue of conflict between the farmers and Fulani herdsmen is not common to the Southwest alone. It is not even common to Nigeria. It is all over the sub-region.

    “On the issue that we are talking about, education is very important. If all Fulani are given opportunity to go to school, I don’t think they will risk their lives and their animals going into the bush, where there are reptiles. I think the key thing is education. The Fulani should be educated.

    “I am a Fulani. My parents settled down many years ago. My father went to school and I have been to school. My children have gone to school. Now, I don’t think I will get cattle and go into a forest; that is education for you.

    “The key thing is, whether in the North or Africa, Fulani are all over. They call themselves Fulani in this part of the world. But in other places, they call them different names. So, education is key. They should be educated. They should be settled. Of course, by that, they will develop the modern way of keeping livestock.”

    He added: “If you go to developed countries, you don’t see animals running about. It has to do with underdevelopment. If you go to Niger, Chad, Cameroon and all these places, they get Fulani roaming about, endangering their lives, endangering their own animals and it is not good for anybody, the economy and the security. But that is for the future.

    “But for today, I think it is important for government to provide facilities because we require their services. Facilities like grazing areas for the cattle and other facilities to make sure that we manage the situation.

    “In the North, we used to have all these grazing areas. We used to have cattle ranch, where they go from place to place without going into the farm. Probably because of the population now and other issues, all these places are being taking by farmers. Therefore, it becomes very difficult for any cattle to roam or go to places without going into farms.

    “So, it is not only peculiar to the Southwest. We just have to have a lot of understanding of the situation. Some of the issues being raised by the people, especially politicians, do not help anybody. If you sack the Fulani from here or you fight them, maybe it is because you are here. If you are a Yoruba man based in Kano, I don’t think you can contemplate sacking the Fulani.

    “I am from Kano, but right now I am in Ibadan. Where you are is your home. Today, Ibadan is my home. God forbids; if something bad happens here, it will affect me. If it happens in my village, I am not there. They won’t see me. But for today, I think it is important for government to provide ranching facilities such as grazing sites, because we require their services.

    “It now calls for understanding among Nigerians.   To that extent, therefore, politicians should stop over-blowing the issue.

    “All Fulani should be given opportunity to go to school.  These Fulani should be educated.  I am one of them.  I am Fulani.  Had I not been educated, imagine what I would have been today; I probably would have been in the forest.”

    He canvassed a quick return of boarding facilities to all public schools in the country as well as compulsory education for the Fulani.

    “This will go a long way in reawakening confidence in the national polity,” he said.

    Dignitaries at the event included Oyo state Governor Isiaq Abiola Ajimobi, represented by Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education Mrs. O. A. Makanjuola; Group Managing Director of Vitafoam Nigeria Plc. Mr. Taiwo Adeniyi; National President of GCI Old Boys Association Chief Abiodun Jolaoso; Principal of GCI, Rev. Oladele Olusola; Chairman, Sunshine Oil and Chemical Industries Limited Basorun Rotimi Obeisun; Chief Executive of Jogor Centre Femi Babalola, among others.

  • Tribunal dismisses petition against Kwankwaso

    Tribunal dismisses petition against Kwankwaso

    THE National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal, sitting in Kano, has dismissed a petition filed against former Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, as the senator representing Kano Central.

    The tribunal held that the petitioner, Mega Progressives People’s Party (MPPP), lacked the locus standi to challenge Kwankwaso’s victory.

    MPPP alleged that the election was marred by irregularities.

    But tribunal Chairman Justice Colonius Ilorin Akintayo, who led other two judges, argued that the petitioner did not have the basis for challenging Kwankwaso’s victory.

    Justice Akintayo said: “Since the petitioner did not participate in the election, because he could not participate; because he was lawfully excluded from the process, he does not have any basis to challenge the outcome of the election under scrutiny.”

    The judge held that the petitioner failed to prove the “unlawful exclusion” from the poll as “…he claimed in the election process”.

    He added: “Since he failed to prove his case, the petition is hereby dismissed.”

    Justice Akintayo said Kwankwaso’s victory was valid as a duly elected senator.

    The petitioner’s lead counsel A. T. Falola said he would liaise with his client on the next line of action.

    On whether or not the petitioner would appeal the judgment, Falola said: “Ours is to communicate to the client; matters go from one stage to another. If they wish to appeal, that is their constitutional right.”

    Thousands of Kwankwaso’s supporters and well wishers celebrated the judgment on Kano streets.

  • Court strikes out Kwankwaso’s case against EFCC

    A Kano High Court yesterday struck out the application for a restraining order brought against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

    Justice Mohammed Yahya struck out the application on the grounds that the applicant filed for a discontinuation of the matter.

    The judge further ruled that the former governor should pay N50,000 as compensation to the commission.

    He directed the disciplinary committee of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) to investigate Kwankwaso’s denial of the counsel, who approached the court on his behalf for the restraining order.

    The court said the act of the counsel was “unethical and overzealousness on his part” for filing an application without the consent of the former governor, who is now a senator.

    The striking out of the matter has vacated the earlier court order instructing both parties to maintain the status quo, an indication that the EFCC may go ahead to quiz the former governor.

    EFCC counsel M.S. Abubakar said the private secretary to the former governor disowned the case filed by his counsel, Okechukwu Nwaeze.

    Abubakar noted that three steps were taken in asking the court to discharge the ex parte order because it was obtained by fraud.

    He said the person, who purportedly asked the lawyer for the court order, said he never authorised him, “which means that he never applied for the court order, and the court ought not to have issued it in the first place and it needed to set it aside”.

    The second reason was that he challenged the jurisdiction of the court, saying it was a state High Court.

    The EFCC, he said, is a Federal Government’s agency.

    Abubakar said: “The constitution is very clear about it. Section 251, (1) R of the 1999 Constitution as amended provides that, if you are challenging any Federal Government’s agency, you should approach the Federal High Court and not a state High Court.

    “The third step we raised was let’s assume the former governor authorised the lawyer and let’s also assume that the court has the jurisdiction, the facts of the merit is that is there any case, is there any petition with EFCC against the former governor or not and should the court stop the EFCC from investigating? We said no because in the constitution, there is an exception to the rights to personal liberty.

    “So, however, when we came to court this morning, the court told us that the counsel has filed a notice of discontinuing the matter. We said okay, since they have already filed a notice of discontinue, we have also filed our responses. Now, if the court wants to accept their notice of discontinue, it should award cost for wasting our time to come to court and the court has acceded to our application and struck out the matter.

    “Presently, there is no court order restraining the EFCC. The matter is concluded and EFCC has been awarded N50,000.”

    A group, Kano State Concerned Workers and Pensioners, had petitioned EFCC accusing Kwankwaso of tampering with N10 billion pension funds.

  • I am not under house arrest – Kwankwaso

    I am not under house arrest – Kwankwaso

    A former Governor of Kano State, Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso, on Friday said he was neither under house arrest nor invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    Kwankwaso said he has also instructed his supporters to withdraw any case instituted against the EFCC on any issue.

    He made the clarifications in a statement issued in Abuja by his Principal Private Secretary, Muhhamad Inuwa Ali, against the backdrop of rumours that he had gone into hiding following the commencement of a probe into the management of N2billion pension cash while in office.

    The statement said:  “To set the record straight, Sen. Kwankwaso was not invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) nor was he ever placed under house arrest or prevented from discharging his legislative or personal duties by any agency.

    “As a Distinguished Legislator he is ever willing and ready to support and strengthen our anti-graft agencies in the fight against corruption in Nigeria.”

    He said some of his supporters actually initiated a libel suit against some people who wrote a petition against him to the EFCC.

    The statement added: “The attention of His Excellency, Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Senator representing Kano Central Senatorial District, was drawn by some of his political supporters in Kano regarding a libelous and unfounded petition against his person before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by his political opponents sometimes in May 2015.

    “The supporters sought for the Distinguished Senator’s permission to institute legal action against the said petitioners to which he consented.

    “However, to the Distinguished Senator’s surprise the supporters and their lawyers instituted an action against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) instead of restricting the case to the petitioners (our political opponents).

    “Conversely, Sen. Kwankwaso has instructed his supporters and their lawyers to discontinue the matter against Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with immediate effect, while the unfounded libelous case against his person will continue.”

  • Atiku, Kwankwaso, Tambuwal and Ekweremadu

    Atiku, Kwankwaso, Tambuwal and Ekweremadu

    It is worrisome what dire portents the controversial National Assembly (NASS) leadership elections of June 9 have let loose. The elections were supposed to be a routine, if slightly competitive, exercise to choose those who would preside over the affairs of the 8th Senate and 8th House of Representatives. But it turned out to be a harbinger of unsettling and inextricable complications for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Given what the disputed elections signposted, the APC must ready itself for more intrigues and fierce competition for dominance by party leaders. In defiance of his party, APC’s Bukola Saraki had struck an alliance with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to emerge as Senate President, with PDP’s Ike Ekweremadu as his deputy. In the lower chamber, Yakubu Dogara, also defying his party, had emerged as Speaker, with Lasun Suleiman of the APC as deputy.

    While the APC was still fuming over the developments in the National Assembly, some of the party’s key leaders offered their views on the election and managed in the same breath to show where they were headed politically. The viewpoints of three APC leaders — former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Speaker Aminu Tambuwal and former Kano governor Rabiu Kwankwaso — indicate just how poignantly the NASS election transcended merely producing the leaders of the 8th NASS. Senator Saraki, Alhaji Atiku, Governor Tambuwal and Senator Kwankwaso are thought to eye the 2019 presidential race. Their actions and opinions on the June 9 NASS leadership elections were believed to have been influenced by their ambitions. But whether each has pursued that ambition ethically and healthily, and with the insuperable circumspection of a future presidential aspirant, will be clear in the coming months.

    The election, or more accurately, the affirmation, of Senator Ekweremadu appears to be the leitmotif of the forthcoming presidential struggle. The reaction of the four APC leaders to the presence on the APC ticket of PDP’s Senator Ekweremadu is serving as the litmus test to gauge their loyalty to the party, their character as individuals and politicians, and their understanding of the dynamics of Nigerian politics. Senator Saraki’s ambition is hardly disguised. While he is entitled to nurse any ambition, many party leaders and followers are uneasy over the guileful but facile manner he ceded the important and valuable position of Deputy Senate Presidency to the PDP, and act attributed wholly to his machinations. Even after the brouhaha over the political heresy is quietened, it is doubtful whether Senator Saraki can be trusted again. Party leaders, members and the populace will wonder whether there is a limit to what and who Senator Saraki can trade for his ambition. He will be judged blameless for resisting his party and pursuing his ambition to lead the senate; but he will not be exculpated for undermining his party in such a grand, reckless and offensive manner. He is unlikely to live down that betrayal, or celebrate for long what is evidently a pyrrhic victory.

    Alhaji Atiku denies that his celebration of the outcome of the NASS elections has anything to do with the 2019 presidential race, but he has offered no forceful or convincing justification for turning a blind eye to Senator Saraki’s subversion of party discipline. Indeed, Alhaji Atiku was enthusiastic in welcoming the new NASS leadership. “The Nigerian people are looking up to the new National Assembly to work with the executive arm to find solutions to the problems of insecurity, poverty, illiteracy and joblessness in the country,” gushed the former vice president. “Their election is indeed a call to duty, and it is a call for which they cannot afford to fail the nation.” He goes on to suggest that the new NASS leaders should not be discomfited by the circumstances of their emergence, but should swing to work immediately and not let personal political interest supersede national interest. He offered no direct or indirect opinion on the subversion of party discipline plotted by Senator Saraki, nor of the embarrassment and dire implication to the APC which the affirmation of Senator Ekweremadu as Deputy Senate President disgracefully connoted.

    While Alhaji Atiku has achieved some renown in crisscrossing political parties, Governor Tambuwal, another party leader who might be interested in the 2019 presidential race, had a reputation for general stoicism and ideological politics. During his tenure as Speaker of the House of Representatives, he came across to many as a dependable politician and leader, one who mixed well, and was sagacious, intelligent and courageous. Why he seemed blithely unaware of the damage to his reputation which his inappropriate reaction to the NASS leadership election implied is hard to understand. He was an ardent defender of the independence of the legislature, and he stood ramrod against the political and executive malfeasances of the Goodluck Jonathan administration. But surely, given his perspicacity, he should be capable of drawing a line between legislative independence and legislative ethicalness, and between party discipline and executive interference. Yet, he was not too incommoded by the desire to defy his party when he felt it was justified. Whether that justification had anything to do with principles or personal interest cannot now be easily established. But in embracing the June 9 NASS elections, which he claimed exampled the maturation of Nigerian democracy, he showed none of the gifts, accomplishments and oratorical endearments for which he had been celebrated as a hero of the 7th Senate.

    Senator Kwankwaso has never hidden his interest in running for president. In fact, he is unabashed in showing his interest. He has a solid political pedigree, and his time as governor of Kano State, not to talk of his Kwankwasiya ideology, continues to resonate quite well with many Nigerians. In the last APC presidential primary, he surprised many by coming a famous and inspiring second to the winner, Muhammadu Buhari. Since then he has talked sensibly, fearlessly, independently and clairvoyantly. What is more, he seems somewhat uncannily prescient in judging political matters. Weeks before the June 9 NASS elections, he had warned of an impending catastrophe if APC leaders failed to handle the NASS leadership elections well. After the elections, when some party leaders waffled, he forthrightly lambasted Senator Saraki for rank indiscipline, and described other beneficiaries of the aberrant elections, such as Senator Ekweremadu, as undeserving. He also counseled the party to establish its authority over its members if the Buhari presidency was not to be threatened by the new and unholy alliance between Senator Saraki and his new PDP affiliates.

    It may be too early to project into the 2019 presidential race, for four years is a very long time in politics. But so far, Senator Kwankwaso has talked the talk most engagingly. His sound bites are clear and crisp, and his stand quite geomorphologically close to the Rock of Gibralta. It however remains to be seen how well he can stay faithful to, and be focused on, doing and saying the right things effortlessly. At the bottom of the posturing by these ambitious APC leaders is the expectation that President Buhari could choose not to run in 2019. If he does however run, the hopes and plans of these early aspirants will be summarily dashed. If he does not run, the field will be crowded by many presidential wannabes, some of them accomplished flip-floppers, and others too short-termist to endure a long race. Among them, if he can stay the course, and nurse his principles, will be Senator Kwankwaso, ebullient, iconoclastic and pragmatic as ever.

  • Senators caution Kwankwaso over attack on Saraki

    Senators operating under the aegis of Like Minds Senators said yesterday that they were shocked by the language used by former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso to describe the emergence of Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki as Senate President.

    The senators, who spearheaded Saraki’s emergence as Senate President, cautioned Kwankwaso against what they called incendiary utterances capable of destabilising the National Assembly and the country.

    Kwankwaso was reported to have described the emergence of Saraki as Senate President as a dangerous signal for the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The former governor was also reported to have warned Saraki against using his ambition to destroy the All Progressive Congress (APC).

    A statement by the spokesperson of the Senators of Like Minds, Senator Dino Melaye, said the citizens should ask Kwankwaso when he turned the friend of Buhari, saying “we are surprised at the emergence of Kwankwaso as a friend of the President.”

    He noted that it was obvious that the Senate Presidency of Saraki would not constitute any threat to Buhari’s administration.

    Melaye added that instead of constituting a cog in the wheel of President Buhari’s administration, “the President is safer in the hands of Saraki”.

    He said: “The President of the 8th Senate and chairman of the National Assembly would accord all necessary legislative support and cooperation to President Buhari.

    “We make bold to state that Buhari is safer in the 8th Assembly with Saraki presiding as the President. Saraki’s Presidency of the Senate will give all necessary cooperation to the President and would greatly help to stabilise the Buhari’s administration.”