Tag: Saraki

Senate President Bukola Saraki has expressed optimism the impeachment threats against him will fail.

He said he is not losing sleep over the threats, saying he would retain his seat as long as rule of law is followed.

He also described insinuations that he defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) because of his presidential ambition as “cheap blackmail”.

Saraki, who was on a private visit to Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa yesterday in Asaba -the Delta State Capital, said he left from the All Progressives Congress (APC) because the ruling party had derailed from the “democratic visions and ideas” espoused on its formation.

Saraki, who had on his entourage Senators Peter Nwaboshi and Dino Melaye among others, said he is not losing any sleep over the impeachment threats.

According to him, when the National Assembly reconvenes and constitutional processes are followed, the impeachment threats will “fizzle out”.

His words: “You can look at me. I am not losing any sleep about it.  We believe democracy must go by the rule of law.

“There are processes, constitutional processes over what we do. So I am not concerned about that. There are lots of noise being made about that but be sure that once we resume the processes are followed we will see that the noise will fizzle out so I am not concerned about it.”

He said his mission to Delta State was to share views with a colleague with whom he had a very cordial relationship at the National Assembly, describing Okowa as a very “important, capable and competent party man”.

Saraki lauded the level of development witnessed in Delta State in the past three years, saying, “A lot of opportunities have been created for Deltans. There is a lot of development in the state and this is what we want to see in most of our states.”

A pressure group, Draft Saraki Movement (DSM), has urged Senate President Bukola Saraki to declare for president within seven days.

It said  if the Senate president declined the call, it would be a great disservice to the people.

The movement hailed Saraki’s pedigree and sacrifice in standing with the people despite intimidation, noting that his experience in service would be far reaching and appreciated in governance of the nation.

DSM spoke in a communiqué after its inaugural meeting in Abuja yesterday signed by National Coordinator and Secretary Dr Abdallah Maiyaki Anas and Rev Ephraim Egbuojah Japheth.

It noted that in Saraki, the people have realised that with the right leadership, the nation’s quest for security, growth and development would be enhanced, and its pride in the world restored.

“His sacrifice to keep the nation’s democracy intact despite all manner of intimidation, harassment, onslaught, mudslinging and  various acts of humiliation, shows the resilient Nigerian spirit, which our founding fathers were known for, with some sacrificing their lives for it.

“Clearly, whether in terms of bills, such as the subsidy bills, which he raised in his first time in office or his statesmanly condemnation of unwarranted loss of lives across  parts of the country, Bukola Saraki has always acted and stood in tandem with the wishes of Nigerians and the electorate.

“Even when laughable charges of armed robbery got tied to him, he has kept his head straight and remained focused, exhibiting rare leadership traits and qualities.

‘’It is our belief that as the leader of the nation, Saraki will produce same magic he used to make Kwara State secured and turned into such beauty in his eight-year as governor”, it said.

The movement calls on Nigerians to make 2019 the turning point for national development and recourse, noting that it is unfortunate that a country of about 200 million had allowed mediocrity, incompetence, intolerance , hunger, poverty and abuse of the rule of law to become its lot.

It said although efforts at meeting the Senate president to appeal to him to contest have not succeeded, it was convinced it should go ahead in the interest of the nation.

“The movement will be opening registers at national, zonal,  state, council and ward levels to secure signatures. The movement’s social media campaign has started. Nigerians should engage us through Facebook, Instagram and Twitter; Draftsarakimovement, @draftsarakimovement and  @DSarakimovement”, the movement said.

There was heavy security yesterday in and around Ilorin, Kwara State capital, during the Eid-el-Kabir.

Senate President Bukola Saraki arrived at the praying ground about 8.55am in a bulletproof car, and waited patiently till 9.33am when the prayer started.

Saraki was accompanied by a former Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Abubakar Baraje; Speaker of the House of Assembly Ali Ahmad; former Minister of Youths and Sports Bolaji Abdullahi, among others.

The Imam Imale of Ilorin, Alhaji Abdullahi AbdulHamid, admonished Muslim faithful to be pious and observe the teachings of the holy Qur’an in their undertakings.

The cleric reminded adherents of the significance of the Islamic festivities, which include fulfilment of promise, piety, sacrifice, devotion and submission to the dos and don’ts of Islam.

The Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, cautioned Muslims against conducts that could negatively affect their good deeds in the sight of Allah.

He urged residents to be peaceful and be their neighbours’ keepers.

Senate President Bukola Saraki yesterday denied that he left the All Progressives Congress (APC) because he wanted an automatic ticket and other pecuniary benefits.

Saraki, in a statement he personally signed, claimed that his decision to defect from the APC to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was imposed on him by certain elements and forces within the APC.

He said that the forces ensured that the minimum conditions for peace, cooperation, inclusion and a general sense of belonging did not exist.

Saraki claimed that the elements allegedly did everything to ensure that the basic rules of party administration, which should promote harmonious relations among the various elements within the party, were blatantly disregarded.

He said his people and associates in the past three years were alienated and treated as outsiders in their own party.

Saraki said that many of his associates became disaffected and disenchanted even as opportunities to seek redress and correct these anomalies were deliberately blocked as a government-within-a-government had formed an impregnable wall and left in the cold, everyone else who was not recognised as “one of us”.

“This is why my people, like all self-respecting people would do, decided to seek accommodation elsewhere,” he said.

Saraki’s statement, entitled:  “The Tinubu Rhetoric – My Response, By Saraki”, reads: “I have always restrained from joining issues in the media with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and this is based on my respect for him.

“However, I will not allow him to create a wrong, false and mischievous impression about the reasons for my decision to exit the All Progressives Congress (APC) and present his prejudices as facts for public consumption.

“I have been consistent in my complaints to all leaders of the APC, including Tinubu, that a situation where the National Assembly is not constructively engaged or carried along in key policy decisions, particularly those that will eventually require legislative approval, is not in the best interest of the nation.

“No genuine leader of the legislature will be comfortable that the Presidency will simply write a terse letter to the National Assembly on key issues which the federal legislature is expected to later deliberate upon and give its approval.

“The Buhari administration consistently treats the legislature with contempt and acts as if the law making body should be an appendage of the Executive. To me, that is unacceptable.

“In the same way, I find it very objectionable that many stakeholders who worked strenuously to get the administration into office have now been excluded in the government and not consulted on key decisions as necessary and expected.

“In fact, some of them are treated as pariah. A party which ignores justice, equity and inclusion as basic pre-condition for peace, unity and stability cannot sustain its membership and leadership.

“Let me redirect the attention of the former Governor of Lagos State to the aspect of my July 31, 2018 statement announcing my exit from APC in which I emphasised that the decision “has been inescapably imposed on me by certain elements and forces within the APC who have ensured that the minimum conditions for peace, cooperation, inclusion and a general sense of belonging did not exist”.

“In that statement, I further noted that those APC elements ‘have done everything to ensure that the basic rules of party administration, which should promote harmonious relations among the various elements within the party were blatantly disregarded.

“All governance principles which were required for a healthy functioning of the party and the government were deliberately violated or undermined. And all entreaties for justice, equity and fairness as basic precondition for peace and unity, not only within the party, but also the country at large, were simply ignored, or employed as additional pretext for further exclusion.

“The experience of my people and associates in the past three years is that they have suffered alienation and have been treated as outsiders in their own party.

“Thus, many have become disaffected and disenchanted. At the same time, opportunities to seek redress and correct these anomalies were deliberately blocked as a government-within-a-government had formed an impregnable wall and left in the cold, everyone else who was not recognized as “one of us”.

“This is why my people, like all self-respecting people would do, decided to seek accommodation elsewhere”.

“Tinubu himself will recall that during the various meetings he had with me at the time he was pursuing reconciliation within the party, I raised all the above issues.

“I can also vividly recall that he himself always expressed his displeasure with the style of the government and also mentioned that he had equally suffered disrespect from the same government which we all worked to put in office.

“I also made the point that whatever travails I have gone through in the last three years belong to the past and will definitely not shape my decisions now and in the future.

“However, during those meetings, the point of disagreement between me and him is that while I express my worry that there is nothing on ground to assure me that the administrative style and attitude would change in the next four years in a manner that will enable us deliver the positive changes we promised to our people, he (Tinubu) expressed a strong opinion that he would rather ‘support a Buhari on the hospital stretcher’ to get a second term because in 2023, power will shift to the South-west.

“This Tinubu viewpoint was not only expressed to me but to several of my colleagues. So much for acting in national interest.

“It is clear that while my own decision is based on protecting collective, national interest, Tinubu will rather live with the identified inadequacies in the government for the sake of fulfilling and preserving his presidential ambition in 2023.

“This new position of Tinubu has only demonstrated inconsistency, particularly when one reviews his antecedent over the years.

“Again, let me reiterate my position that my uncertain and complex relationship with Tinubu has been continually defined by the event of 2014 when myself and other leaders of the APC opposed the Muslim-Muslim ticket arrangement about to be foisted on the APC for the 2015 polls.

“It should be noted that he has not forgotten the fact that I took the bull by the horns and told him that in the interest of the country, he should accept the need for the party to present a balanced ticket for the 2015 General Elections in terms of religion and geo-political zones.

“Since that time he has been very active, plotting at every point to undermine me, within and outside the National Assembly.

“It is a surprise to me that Asiwaju Tinubu is still peddling the falsehood about the fact that my defection is about automatic ticket and sharing of resources.

“Members of the public will recall that when the issue of my decision to quit APC came to the fore and many APC leaders were holding meetings with me, a newspaper owned by the same Tinubu published a false report about the promise of automatic ticket, oil block and other benefits.

“I immediately rebutted their claims and categorically stated that I never discussed any such personal and pecuniary benefits with anybody.

“My challenge that anybody who has contrary facts should come forward with them still remains open.

“It should be known that Democracy is a system which allows people to freely make their choice. It is my choice that I have decided to join others to present a viable alternative platform for Nigerians in the coming elections.

“Tinubu and leaders of the APC had better respect this decision or lawfully deal with it. As for me, Allah gives power to whom He wishes. Human beings can only aspire and strive to fulfill their aspirations.”