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Tag: Saraki

  • APC thugs, police after my life- Saraki alleges

    Senate President Bukola Saraki has raised the alarm, alleging threat to his safety and that of the members of his immediate family in Ilorin, Kwara State.

    Addressing reporters in Abuja on Friday, Saraki fingered thugs allegedly sponsored by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the police as instigators.

    Saraki, who is the Director General of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organisation, described the alleged conspiracy against him by the thugs and the police as sinister, uncivilised and unfortunate.

    He said: “I call you today to bring to your attention the sad development in my home state, Kwara State, and the role of the security agencies in giving cover to people who are unleashing violence on our people because they are surprised and cannot understand how and why the people continue to give massive and overwhelming support to the PDP across the state.

    “Also Yesterday (Thursday), these same APC thugs shielded by policemen went to my family quarters in Agbaji in Ilorin and vandalized houses, shops and inflicted wounds with matchete on three people.

    “All these destructions took place in the presence of policemen who came with them but watched without any care, as the APC thugs and supporters unleashed violence on our people.

    “For me, personally, I believe the decision to attack people and properties in my family ancestral compound is a direct affront and attack on my person.

    “And whatever signals these APC elements with support from the police believe they are sending is definitely sinister, uncivilized and unfortunate”.

    He expressed regrets that the police have continued to show undisguised hostility toward him and his supporters in the state.

    According to him, this latest round of violence was part of efforts to jeopardise and undermine his personal security and that of his immediate and larger family members.

    Narrating his ordeals further, Saraki said: “Three incidents will illustrate what I am saying to you. Yesterday, after the APC concluded their campaigns in Ilorin, some of their supporters and thugs moved around town and in areas like Adewole/Adeta, Ile Otan and Ubandawaki/Pakata where they saw our people gathered holding their weekly ward meetings.

    “They disrupted the meetings by shouting their party slogan and when our people responded by mentioning our own slogan, they fired gunshots into their midst in Adewole/Adeta.

    “They also inflicted matchete cuts on some of them. As a result of this attack, two people suffered bullet wounds”.

    The former Kwara State Governor said reports of the attacks were filed in relevant police stations in Ilorin but expressed doubts that anything tangible and constructive would come out of the reports.

    He stated further that as part of the plot, the police, under the directive of the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, had, on Thursday, commenced the transfer of Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) out of Kwara State.

    Saraki called on Nigerians and the entire world to hold the IGP responsible if anything untoward happens to him and members of his family.

    Read Also: 2019: APC needs no violence to win, says Tinubu

    “While the police are free to take decisions on the deployment of their personnel, we found the postings in Kwara State strange and more than a mere coincidence.

    “It should also be noted that IGP has posted three different Commissioners of Police to Kwara State in the last six months.

    “In fact, the previous and current Commissioner of Police in the state got strict instructions from the IGP not to relate or engage with the Senate President,” Saraki added.

    According to him, the usual practice has been that the Commissioner of Police personally ensures the security of the Senate President whenever he visits his home state.

    He said all his predecessors were accorded that security cover whenever they visited their home states and that he also enjoyed it in his first year in office from 2015 to 2016.

    Saraki expressed apprehensions over his personal safety as the ward to ward electioneering campaign is about to begin across the state.

    According to him: “We need to make it clear to the entire world that now that ward to ward campaign is about to begin in the state and I am set to participate in that grassroots campaign, as I have always done, nobody is sure what instructions Mr. Idris has given to the police command in the state.

    “Thus, the entire world should hold the IGP responsible if anything untoward happens to members of my family and myself.”

    Deploring the role of the IGP in the entire plot, Saraki continued, “Do not forget that before now, this same IGP has tried several tricks to implicate me in some criminal charges.

    “First, he arrested some cultists and was about to compel them to claim they worked for me. We exposed the trick early enough and the media also pointed out holes in his story. He quickly withdrew that.

    “Later, he went on to the Offa robbery case and politicised the investigation in order to rope me.

    “In the process of forcing suspects to implicate me, the principal suspect died in their custody.

    “He has also not succeeded with that plot. Who knows what else he may have planned.

    “Now, that full campaign is on, which requires my going round, I want the world to hold him personally responsible if anything happens to me.”

  • Saraki: 2019 election not about me

    SENATE President Bukola Saraki said yesterday that the 2019 election in Kwara State is about the preservation of the people’s culture and tradition.

    He added that the election is neither about him as the Senate president nor about the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate.

    Saraki added that the people of Kwara State would resist plans by some desperate politicians and their local collaborators to annex the state to the Southwest.

    He said Kwara belongs to Kwarans and efforts by seasonal politicians to hand it over to their Lagos and Abuja paymasters shall be frustrated.

    The Senate President spoke at Bode Saadu, headquarters of Moro Local Government Area in Kwara North during the official flag off of the PDP campaign.

    Saraki added: “This election is not about me or our governorship candidate, Razak Atunwa. It’s about this state, our tradition. Time will tell about whatever we do today. We went back to PDP because we need a government that will care for our people and gives jobs to our people. We should not vote a candidate, whose DG said ‘he does not care, he does not know’.”

    Governor Abdufatah Ahmed said: “We are flagging off our campaign to usher in another PDP government. You can all see hunger, poverty in the last three years of APC government. We want to bring in PDP to change the narrative. We shall usher in PDP government in Nigeria and Kwara.”

    The state PDP Chairman, Kola Shittu, said only PDP government would be beneficial to Kwarans and Nigerians.

    “PDP government will provide jobs for our youths. Many people have decamped to PDP because of our leaders’ sincerity and welfarism programmes,” he added.

    The state’s Director General of PDP Campaign Council, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, described APC as a deceitful party, which did not mean well for the people of Kwara State.

     

  • 2019 election is not about me, says Saraki

    The Senate President Bukola Saraki on Tuesday said the 2019 election in the state is about the preservation of Kwara state culture and tradition.

    He added that the election is not he as the senate president nor the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Senator Saraki added that the people of Kwara state would resist plans by some desperate politicians and their local collaborators to annex the state to the south-west.

    He said Kwara belongs to Kwarans and all efforts by seasonal politicians to hand it over to their Lagos and Abuja paymasters shall be frustrated.

    The Senate President spoke at Bode Saadu, headquarters of Moro local government area, in Kwara north during the official flag off of the campaign of the PDP.

    Saraki added: “This election is not about me or our governorship candidate, Razak Atunwa. It’s about this state, our tradition. Time will tell about whatever we do today. We go back to PDP because we need a government that will care for our people, gives jobs to our people. We should not vote a candidate whose DG said’ he does not care, he does not know.”

    Earlier, Governor Abdufatah Ahmed said: “We are flagging off our campaign to usher in another PDP government. You can all see hunger, poverty in the last three years of APC government. We want to bring in PDP to change the narrative. We shall usher in PDP government in Nigeria and Kwara.

    The state chairman of the PDP, Hon. Kola Shittu said only PDP government will be beneficial to the people of the state and Nigerians in general.

    “PDP government will provide jobs for our youths. Many people have decamped to PDP because of our leaders’ sincerity and welfarism programmes,” he added.

    Read Also: APC cautions supporters against anti-party activities

    In his opening remarks, the Director General of PDP campaign council in the state, Prof Abubakar Sulaiman described APC as a deceitful party which does not mean well for the people of Kwara state.

    He added that: “Kwara election is between the real stakeholders and pretenders and those with territorial expansionist ambition. Kwara belongs to the north and we should not allow them to take the state to the south west. The APC has nothing to offer the state, they only have deception. We should vote for Atiku. Kwara should not vote for ‘ ghosts’ because” we don’t know those paradigm themselves as gubernatorial candidate now. They have never contributed anything to the development of the state “.
    Atunwa promised to run a government of welfarism if elected as the state’s next governor.

    He lamented that “the APC led federal government denied Kwara youths job placements. Our government shall provide jobs for them. Women will be empowered.

  • Saraki’s Christmas Day interview’s rebroadcast doctored, says Minister

    MINISTER of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed yesterday alleged that the rebroadcast Christmas Day interview by Senate President Bukola Saraki was doctored.

    In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday, the minister promised to make public an unedited interview.

    Mohammed said available evidence shows that the live radio interview of the Senate President was doctored before it was re-broadcast to remove any reference to the claimed donation of a N10 million to victims of the armed robbery in Offa, Kwara State.

    The minister said he would present to the public, both the unedited version of the live radio interview as well as the doctored, re-broadcast version.

    He said this would enable the people to see the extent to which some leaders can go to deceive the people and peddle lies just to shore up their dwindling fortunes.

    “In the unedited live version, Dr. Saraki, speaking in Yoruba, said categorically that he donated N10 million when he visited Offa to commiserate with the victims of the armed robbery, when (he said) in actual fact about N7 million was stolen from the vaults of the banks that were robbed during the attack.

    “However, the version for re-broadcast did not contain any reference to the Offa robbery. Whereas they claimed to have re-broadcast the interview due to popular demand, the truth is that they decided to re-air it without the claim of N10 million donation due to the widespread derision that greeted that phantom claim. These people have a chronic disdain for the truth,” he said.

    Mohammed challenged the Senate President to answer three questions or learn to keep his peace:

    • The first one is: Did he not say during the live interview that the money in the vault was N7 million and that he dropped N10 million, when he went to Offa on a condolence visit? The second question is: Did he really drop any money on that occasion? And the third: Did he or did he not doctor the original broadcast?”

    Mohammed said while he would not want to exchange words with Saraki on who is truly on ground in Kwara, it is important to let him know that six weeks from now, the people of Kwara will answer that question.

    “On November 17, 2018, the people of Kwara gave a hint of their determination to sack the rapacious leaders, who have dominated their lives when they voted for the APC in the by-election for the Ekiti/Isin/Irepodun/Oke-Ero Federal Constituency. That crushing defeat so devastated the political warlords, who hitherto claimed invincibility, that they started doing what they have never done before: going from ward to ward to campaign!

    “Unfortunately, the game is up for them, as they will soon learn, because the people have resolved that ‘O to ge (enough is enough)’. In the meantime, they are free to continue to revel in self-deceit,” the minister said.

  • Game up for Saraki in Kwara-Lai Mohammed

    The invincibility of Senate President Bukola Saraki in Kwara State politics is over, Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed has declared.

    He said the people will liberate themselves at the polls in the next six weeks as they hinted in the recent House of Representatives by-election in the state.

    The Minister also accused the Senate President of doctoring the Christmas Day radio interview, vowing to make public the unedited version for people to see the obvious deceit.

    Mohammed, in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday, said available evidence shows the live radio interview was doctored before it was re-broadcast to remove any reference to the claimed donation of N10million to victims of the armed robbery in Offa, Kwara State.

    Reacting to the question of who is truly on ground in Kwara politics, the Minister said: “On Nov. 17 2018, the people of Kwara gave a hint of their determination to sack the rapacious leaders who have dominated their lives when they voted for the APC in the by-election for the Ekiti/Isin/Irepodun/Oke-Ero federal constituency.

    “That crushing defeat so devastated the political warlords, who hitherto claimed invincibility that they started doing what they have never done before: going from ward to ward to campaign!

    “Unfortunately, the game is up for them, as they will soon learn, because the people have resolved that ‘O to ge’ (enough is enough).

    “In the meantime, they are free to continue to revel in self-deceit.”

    On the doctored interview, he said: ”In the unedited live version, Dr. Saraki, speaking in Yoruba, said categorically that he donated N10 million when he visited Offa to commiserate with the victims of the armed robbery, when (he said) in actual fact about N7 million was stolen from the vaults of the banks that were robbed during the attack.

    ”However, the version for re-broadcast did not contain any reference to the Offa robbery.

    “Whereas they claimed to have re-broadcast the interview due to popular demand, the truth is that they decided to re-air it without the claim of N10 million donation due to the widespread derision that greeted that phantom claim. These people have a chronic disdain for the truth.”

     

  • Obasanjo, Saraki, Sambo, Aregbesola, El-Rufa’i, others condole with Shagari’s family

    MORE eminent Nigerians  yesterday  condoled with the family of late ex-President Shehu Shagari.

    They include former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki,  ex-Vice President Namadi Sambo, former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima and Kaduna State Governor Nasiru el-Rufa’i have

    They described him as an epitome of personal integrity, commitment, forbearance, forgiveness and faith in God.

    Obasanjo, Saraki, Sambo, el-Rufa’i and Shettima spoke in their condolence remarks at the residence of the late Shagari.

    Aregbesola expressed his condolences in a statement by his spokesman Mr. Sola Fasure.

    Obasanjo was led to the Sama Road, Sokoto family house of the late Second Republic President by Sokoto State Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal after arriving through the Sadiq Abubakar III International Airport, Sokoto at about 9a.m.

    The former president, who was received by Shagari’s eldest son, Muhammadu Bala Shagari, said the late elder statesman was a man of simplicity, faith in God and commitment to the fatherland.

    Obasanjo, while noting his days in service and closeness to the late Shagari when they were both Federal Commissioners of Works and Finance in Gen. Yakubu Gowon’s cabinet, said the late Shagari was an honest, transparent and committed Nigerian.

    Obasanjo recalled how the late Shagari expressed surprise when the mantle of leadership was handed to him in 1979 by a military head of state, who happened to be himself.

    The junior Shagari thanked the former President for the condolence visit and appreciated his closeness to late Shagari.

    He noted that Obasanjo was the man, who assisted their late father to have a house of his own in Abuja.

    “Sir, I must say that of our family members of nine children to late Shagari, none of us, if not of recent that two have such property in Abuja. We are living his life style too.”

    He ushered the former President in to condole with the widows.

    Saraki has said Nigerians should learn from the sense of humour, wisdom and patriotism of late former President Shehu Shagari.

    According to Saraki, he was a true and reliable democrat. If we hold on to that, our democracy will be more strong and promising. He stood for the development of Nigeria as a nation.

    Saraki who visited the family of the former President  yesterday afternoon whom he regarded a father and close associate of his late father, described the death as a great loss to Nigeria.

    He said Shagari lived a worthy and trusted life for the development of the country.

    “He lived a humble life to the fullest with exemplary sense of commitment and dedication to service”, he pointed out.”

    Saraki was in company of the PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus, Sen. Sani Yariman Bakura, Alhaji Tanimu Turaki, Ataahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa among others led by Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.

    Aregbesola said yesterday that he received with much sadness the news of the passage of the first democratically elected president.

    The former Osun State governor said he, however, accepted the news of Shagari’s exit with total submission to the will of Allah, describing it as an irreparable loss to the country.

    He described the former President as a complete gentleman and a devout Muslim through his life.

    He said the deceased could hardly hurt a fly, but found himself among political hawks during his tenure as President.

    Aregbesola noted that the late Shagari was a compassionate person, a patriot, believer in project Nigeria and its unity, which was evident in the slogan of his party – One Nation, One Destiny, One Country.

    Aregbesola noted that Shagari’s demise closed the chapter of the vibrant and colourful presidential gladiators of the Second Republic democratic experience.

    Sambo urged Nigerians to emulate the worthy legacies and principles of the deceased, whom he described as a father.

    Praying for the deceased, Sambo urged other Nigerians to emulate Shagari.

    Also, el-Rufa’i described the late former president as a symbol of respect and humility.

    “We heard a lot about him in our youthful days as students in Barewa College, Zaria on his good leadership virtues,” he said.

    Welcoming them, Shagari’s son expressed gratitude to Allah for the remarks on his late father, whom he described as an uncommon symbol of good relations across the country.

    To Shettima, the late Shagari was a shining example for his unequalled democratic legacies as a unifying factor for Nigeria’s prosperity.

    According to him, “he would be remembered for his humility, selfless service and good governance as a true democrat.”

    More sympathisers also visited and registered their condolences to the family.

  • Saraki urges Nigerians to remain positive in New Year

    Senate President Bukola Saraki has called on Nigerians to remain positive and hope for better days.

    In a statement by his media aide Yusuph Olaniyonu, Dr. Saraki said the current social, economic and political challenges would give room for better times if Nigerians remain hopeful and collectively work together to ensure a turnaround.

    The statement reads: “I congratulate all Nigerians who are today ushering in a New Year in an atmosphere of peace. While a lot need to be done to increase the level of security in the land, revive our economy, gainfully engage our youths, the New Year gives us another opportunity to take steps that would lead us to our desired destination as a nation.

    “We can only overcome our challenges if we remain resolute in fighting for what is right and doing the right things. We should ensure the coming general elections are peaceful, free, fair and credible. All of us should abhor any illegal or violent activity.

    “We need to also remember our fellow countrymen and women in troubled areas of the country and pray to God to restore peace in all the nooks and cranny of the country, defeat insurgency and successfully restore the displaced people to their homestead.”

  • Police fault Saraki on Melaye’s arrest

    The Nigeria Police Force has faulted claims by the Senate President Bukola Saraki on the arrest of Senator Dino Melaye.

    Saraki, in a statement, said alleged the police did not submit a letter of invitation to the Clerk of the National Assembly.

    But the Force Spokesman, Ag. DCP Jimoh Moshood on Monday revealed copies of the letter of invitation sent to the Clerk, the medical report of the injured Police officer and pictures of the officer to serve as proofs.

    The letter to the Clerk dated 23rd July, 2018 was signed by the Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Command, CP Ali Janga.

    The letter was received on the 24th of July 2018 by the office of the Clerk of the National Assembly.

    It reads in part: “This office is investigating a case of Criminal Conspiracy and Attempted Culpable Homicide reported against Distinguished Senator Dino Melaye representing Kogi West Senatorial District Zone.

    “You are kindly requested to inform the said Sen. Melaye to report to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Police Command through the undersigned on Thursday 26th July, 2018 at 1100hrs to assist Police investigation.”

    The medical report of the injured Police officer, Sgt. Danjuma Saliu, from Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja was signed on 31st of July, 2018 by Dr. Aduloju F.A  on behalf of the Consultant-in-charge of Cardiothoracic  Surgery Unit.

    The Police maintained its operatives with a duly obtained Warrant of Arrest deployed to arrest Senator Dino Melaye in his residence in Abuja will not retreat until Senator Dino Melaye surrenders himself for arrest and investigation.

    Melaye is wanted by the Police for a case of Criminal Conspiracy and Attempted Culpable Homicide, committed on 19th July, 2018, when Senator Dino Melaye and his armed thugs attacked Police personnel; shot and wounded Sgt. Danjuma Saliu, attached to 37 Police Mobile Force (PMF) on stop and search duty along Aiyetoro Gbede, Mopa Road in Kogi State.

    On Saraki’s claim, the Police said: “The claim by the Senate President in the Media that the Police  did not submit a letter of invitation to the Clerk of the National Assembly is therefore incorrect as can be seen on attached letter with acknowledgment stamp of the Clerk, National Assembly, Abuja “24 JULY 2018“. Despite this, Senator Dino Melaye bluntly refused to report himself to the Police till date.”

    Moshood also said the Police Officer is yet to recover from the gunshot injury he sustained during the attack and still under intensive medical care in the hospital.

    The Force also said it will ensure a thorough investigation into the matter to ensure the rule of law prevails and that no suspect no matter how highly placed, involved in any criminal matter escape justice. ​

     

     

     

     

  • Minister to Saraki: stop dancing on the graves of Offa robbery victims

    Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed has warned Senate President Bukola Saraki to stop dancing on the graves of the innocent souls who died in the April 5, 2018 armed robbery attack in Offa.

    Mohammed, in a statement in Lagos on Monday by his media aide, Segun Adeyemi, urged Saraki to stop politicising the unfortunate incident.

    He reacted following a claim by Saraki in a radio interview he donated N10 million when he visited Offa on commiseration despite the fact that only N7million was stolen from the banks’ vault.

    The Minister condemned attempts to denominate human lives in naira and kobo.

    He alleged in the wake of his warning, the apparently embarrassing radio interview was hurriedly edited to remove all references to the Offa robbery and then re-aired across Kwara state.

    ”Instead of stopping at that, which in itself constitutes an acceptance of wrong-doing, Dr. Saraki went ahead to hurl insults at me, even when I have been largely restrained in issuing my earlier warning.

    “Had I not been restrained, I would have gone ahead to divulge what actually transpired.

    ”For example, the claim by Dr. Saraki that he donated N10million to care for the victims of the Offa robbery is patently false.

    “He did not! The N10 million he referred to was donated when the Offa market got burnt, and it was made in Ilorin, not Offa.

    “When Dr Saraki visited Offa to commiserate with the community in the aftermath of the robbery, he did not donate a dime! I challenge him to prove me wrong.”

    The Minister added: ”But with politics in the air, the truth becomes the first casualty. Realising that he goofed, Dr. Bukola apparently caused the radio interview in question to be edited to remove the donation reference, and then re-aired.

    “Is it not an irony the people who engaged in this egregious act of dishonesty are the same ones calling others names?”

    He said he will continue to steer debates on the political developments in Kwara state to issues rather than exchange of personal insults, which he has always been averse to.

    ”The people of Kwara, who are bone-tired of the long years of ‘bolekaja’ governance in the state, are all saying in one voice, ‘O to ge’ (enough is enough), and will soon have the opportunity to express their frustration with their votes,” the Minister said.

     

     

     

  • Saraki to Nigerians: Emulate late Shagari’s democratic ideals

    SENATE President Abubakar Bukola Saraki has urged Nigerians to learn from the sense of humour, wisdom and patriotism of late former President Shehu Shagari.

    According to Saraki” he was a true and reliable Democrat. If we hold on to that, our democracy will be more strong and promising. He stood for the development of Nigeria as a nation.

    Saraki who visited the family of the former President Monday afternoon to condole with them on the demise of Shagari whom he regarded a father and close associate of his late father, described the death as a great loss to Nigeria.

    He said Shagari lived a worthy and trusted life for the development of the country.

    ” He lived a humble life to the fullest with exemplary sense of commitment and dedication to service”, he pointed out.”

    Saraki was in company of the PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus, Sen. Sani Yariman Bakura, Alhaji Tanimu Turaki, Ataahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa among others led by Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.

    Also condoling the family, Governor Muhammed Abdullahi Abubakar of Bauchi state who prayed for the repose of the soul of Shagari, described him as a rare patriot who made sacrifices to nation building with zeal and commitment.

    ” He was impeccably a true leader and hub for national unity. He lived a simple and dependable life as a nationalist.”

    Similarly, the National leader of Izalatul Bi’a Wa Iqamatus Sunnah of the JNI, Sheikh Abdullahi Bala Lau in company of Sheikhs Muhammadu Kabiru Haruna Gombe, Abubakar Giro Argungu, condoled the family and prayed Allah grant the soul of Shagari Jannatul Firdaus.