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Tag: Senator Bukola Saraki

  • Who becomes next Senate President?

    Assistant Editor JIDE BABALOLA examines the struggle among the six geo-political zones for National Assembly leadership positions.

    S the permutations and horse-trading for the position of Senate President gather steam, internal disagreement over the zoning of the key National Assembly positions could become a test for the All Progressives Congress (APC) – just as it was in 2015 – if decisive action is not taken immediately to restore equity and balance in power-sharing arrangement in the country.

    The APC leadership and indeed, the Presidency should have sufficiently learnt from the errors of baffling indecision that left the door wide open for a Senator Bukola Saraki and his mostly Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) allies in the Senate to actualise a daring bid for Senate leadership which has survived till date, with implications for the Buhari Presidency. However, there is no certainty that the ruling party which has now secured majority in the both houses of the National Assembly has really learnt any lesson from its experience in the last four years.

    While APC is yet to zone the leadership positions of the National Assembly, some leaders of the party are pushing for the undiluted implementation of the 2015 power-sharing formula, which zoned the Senate President position to the North East geopolitical zone.

    Senators Ahmed Lawan ( APC Yobe North), Ali Ndume (APC Borno South) and Danjuma Goje (APC Gombe Central) from the North East are reported to have indicated interest to contest for the position of Senate President.

    However, other leaders are insisting that the 2015 zoning formulae must be tinkered with and aligned with the political realities of today. They argue that it is abundantly glaring that a trend of genuine equity and balance is lacking in the way and manner the Senate has constituted its leadership. Neither gender sensitivity nor the imperatives of geographical spread have been adequately reflected in the leadership of Nigeria’s Upper House. Today, it is already a somewhat negative historical fact.

    Provisions of section 53 of the nation’s Constitution and relevant rules in the two legislative houses makes the the Senate President  the Presiding Officer in the Senate as well as Chairman of the National Assembly and by implication, the head of the legislative arm of government.

    The North Central zone has produced Senate Presidents for a total of 12 years. David Mark from Benue state was Senate President from June, 2007 till June, 2015. Also, Bukola Saraki from Kwara state held the position from June, 2015 till 2019. This has created a huge concentration of power in the North.

    Prior to the emergence of the All Progressives Congress as the nation’s ruling party, the leadership of the three arms of government – Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary had been shared in such a way that neither the North nor the South had all three positions at any given time.

    But in the period between May 29, 2015 when President Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in as President and March 6, 2017 when Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen became the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the heads of all arms government were from the North.

    With Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad from North East as the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, the entire Federal Government will now be seen as being in control of the North and the APC could be playing itself into the hands of critics. Moreover, this could be a clear violation of Nigeria’s Constitution. section 14 ( 3) of the 1999 Constitution describes the Nigeria’s Federal Character Principle as follows: The composition of the government of the federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few states or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that government in any or its agencies.

    Such imbalance in the power-sharing arrangement never happened during the 16 years of the Peoples Democratic Party rule. And for APC that wants make further in-roads into the South ahead of 2023, the implementation of its 2015 zoning formulae for the election of the principal officers of the National Assembly could be damaging politically.

    Senators from the South are kicking against this obvious marginalisation and this creates great opportunity for PDP to steal the Senate Presidency from APC. Political pundits argue that APC has to seriously re-examine its formula if it wishes to avoid a repeat of the Saraki saga.

    Of the 102 Senate seats declared so far by INEC, APC has 63, PDP has 38 Senators and the Young Progressives Party (YPP) has one. Of the seven undecided seats, five are leaning PDP. This means PDP could end up with 43 senators – just 12 short of the simple majority required to clinch the Senate Presidency!

    Should PDP decide to back Southeast for the Senate President position, there are three potential candidates – Dr Orji Uzor Kalu (APC), Senator Ben Uwajimogu (APC), Ifeanyi Uba (YPP).  Kalu and Uwajimogu are ranking senators-elect and have also indicated interest in the position.

    Anyone who thinks outgoing Senate President Saraki will not be able to recruit nine more Senators from within APC for PDP to determine who succeeds him surely needs to think again, especially as this phase of the political game may mean far much more to Saraki than a cursory glance indicates.

    Change/next level

    Presently, it is being argued that a necessary and corrective paradigm shift that entails having an experienced and competent Senator in the position of Senate President from the South may reflect the APC government’s Change Agenda.

    As a consequence, the party has to seriously re-examine its formula if it wishes to avoid the situation that led to the emergence of Saraki as Senate President as PDP Senators have not given up on the Senate Presidency for the 9th Senate.

    It would also be historically interesting for Nigerians  to see  a true reflection of ‘Next Level’ – the ruling APC’s new mantra – in the constitution of the leadership of Nigeria’s Senate, if gender considerations are carefully weighed in the zoning of the principal officers of the Senate. Electing a woman as Senate President or Deputy Senate President would be a historical landmark, but ironically, it won’t even amount to gender balancing. This is because since 1960, the under-representation of women has included a near-complete non-involvement of female lawmakers in the Senate’s top hierarchy, except for committee level assignments and a single appointment of one woman as Deputy Minority Whip.

    Perhaps, the new  Senate may  consider an eminently qualified ranking female Senator, Senator Oluremi Tinubu who will be serving her third term, this time around. On the basis of personal merit and antecedents, Tinubu, as Nigeria’s first-ever third term female Senator could be part of APC’s trump card for impactful change of historical proportions.

    Power rotation: Southsouth locked out?

    However, it is surprising that since 1999, none of those holding the positions of either Senate President or Deputy Senate President came from the Southsouth geopolitical zone.  A similar trend obtains in the House of Representatives, as no one from the Southsouth zone has become either Speaker or Deputy Speaker since 1999.

    For 12 years now, the North-Central zone has produced the Senate President.

    From 2015 to 2019, the North East held the position of  Speaker  with Yakubu Dogara from Bauchi state.

    The Northwest geopolitical zone held the position of  Speaker  for twelve years with Salisu Buhari (Kano  state) as Speaker from June, 1999 to July, 1999. Ghali Umar Na’Abba, also from Kano state succeeded him, staying on the seat from July, 1999 till June 2003 when Aminu Bello Masari (Katsina state) became Speaker from June 2003 till June, 2007 when Aminu Bello Masari (Katsina state) became Speaker.

    As for the Southeast, which had the position of Senate President for a cumulative period of eight years, five of its sons were on the seat. These were: Evans Enwerem (June, 1999 – November, 1999), Chuba Okadigbo (November, 1999 – September, 2000), Anyim Pius Anyim (September, 2000 – June, 2003), Adolphus Wabara (June 2003 – March, 2005) and Ken Nnamani who was Senate President from March, 2005 to June, 2007.

    The Southwest had the Speakership position in the lower house for four years with Ms Patricia Etteh (June, 2007 – August, 2007) and Dimeji Bankole (August, 2007 – June, 2011).

    As for the South-South geopolitical zone, it appears to have been locked out of the top leadership positions in both the Senate and the House of Representatives through by an unusual combination of factors.

    Prospects for Southsouth

    As it is, the South-South geopolitical zone has some APC senators who could be given the responsibility to lead the Senate. Those elected as Senators from the zone are: Degi Wangagra, a first-timer from ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s Bayelsa East District constituency, Francis Alimikhena,  from Edo state and Ovie Omo-Agege, a pronounced pro-Buhari Senator from Delta Central Senatorial Constituency.

    A few days ago, an APC chieftain from the Southsouth, Mr Paul Odili urged President Muhammadu Buhari, APC leaders and members of the yet-to-be inaugurated 9th Senate to consider honouring  Delta state with the position of the President of the Senate or Deputy President of the Senate, emphasising that Omo-Agege has all it takes to serve the nation and his party as Senate President.

  • Saraki, PDP ploting to hijack Ninth National Assembly, Nabena alleges

    A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Yekini Nabena has revealed plots by Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki and the leadership of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to hijack the leadership of the 9th session of the National Assembly by influencing who emerges leaders of both chambers.

    Nabena said in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja that the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) must move fast to nip such moves in the bud by coming out with a zoning formular for the emergence of leaders of the legislature.

    Nebena who is also the Deputy National Publicity Secretary said the Senate President is working in tandem with what he called “Otta farm”, warning that the APC must move quickly and urgently rollout the zoning arrangements to avoid a repeat of what happened in 2015.

    Both incumbent Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker Yakubu Dogara emerged Senate President and Speaker against the party’s wish in the outgoing 8th National Assembly.

    Speaking with newsmen in Abuja, Nabena said the outgoing Senate President and his party (PDP) have devised plans to ensure that there loyalists take control of the legislative arm of government.

    He said: “The outgoing Senate President and the PDP caucus have begun surreptitious move to lure some new APC lawmakers with juicy committee position in return for their support for the PDP choice for the leadership of the Senate and House of Representatives.

    “Already, Saraki’s henchman, Dino Melaye and some other returning PDP federal lawmakers have scheduled meetings with some APC lawmakers from Wednesday to Sunday in a yet-to-be announced venue.”

    He stressed that “It is important that the APC leadership meet and urgently rollout a fair zoning arrangement to ensure that we produce our preferred candidates for all leadership positions in the incoming National Assembly.

    “Since Saraki lost his bid to return to the Senate and control of his home state, Kwara, he has devised a plan to ensure that he influences the choice of the incoming National Assembly Leadership. This is Saraki’s last-ditch effort to remain politically relevant.

     

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) described the allegation as diversionary and baseless, saying however, that the governing party has every right to enjoy its delusion of persecution.

    In a chat with our correspondent in Abuja yesterday, the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan said the PDP has more pressing issues to engage it’s time.

    Ologbondiyan said, “Let Yekini Nabena and the All Progressives Progressives Congress (APC) be told in clear terms that the National Assembly is a political environment.

    “So if crying and whining over National Assembly leadership positions will help their cause, let them continue to indulge themselves.

    “Do they expect the PDP with about 42 members in the Senate, which may increase before June, to sit on the fence and be watching events?

    “For now, we are in court to retrieve our stolen presidential mandate and preparing for supplementary election in states where the INEC declared the March 9 governorship and state assembly elections inconclusive. That is our focus for now.

    “Let them wait till June for the election of leadership of the National Assembly and see how things play out. We believe that when we get to the bridge we will cross it”.

    The PDP however said in a statement yesterday that Nigerians will not vote in vain, assuring that the votes they freely gave to its candidates in the 2019 general elections will never be in vain.

    The statement, signed by Ologbondiyan, expressed optimism that the party will surely recover the presidential mandate given to its candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and ensure that none of the states where it is in the lead ahead of the March 23 supplementary election will be hijacked by the APC.

    Ologbondiyan quoted the National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, as stating the party’s position during a solidarity visit by the leadership of the party on Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, on Tuesday, ahead of Saturday’s supplementary election.

    He further quoted Secondus as stating that Nigerians are extremely hurting over the “rigging” of the presidential and other elections by the APC, as well as alleged schemes to forcefully take over states already won by the PDP, leading to the supplementary elections.

    “Elections are about the will of the people. When you force yourself on the people; that is not democracy. Today, Nigerians are unhappy with the way elections were rigged without allowing the will of the people to prevail”, Secondus said.

    Tambuwal was reported to have assured that the PDP and the people of Sokoto state were upbeat and fully mobilized to ensure that their will is not subverted.

    “We are upbeat as Sokoto state has never been this mobilised. People are praying and fasting by themselves and they are ready once again to ensure that their will is not subverted.

    “What happened in the last elections was unimaginable as security agents took over the state. Ballot papers were found with APC members on the streets. The staff of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission stormed the residences of our members, harassing and intimidating them.

    “Even on the day of election, they were going round the polling units and picking up our members. There were open rigging in about six of the local government areas.

    “They brought their federal might to bear but the will of the people prevailed against them and we won, yet they declared the election inconclusive.

    “So, in Sokoto, they have the will of the people to contend with and given the prayers that our people are offering everyday and their decision to checkmate the rigging of APC, victory is sure to be for us and the PDP”, Tambuwal was quoted to have said.

    The main opposition party urged all its members and supporters to remain steadfast and march out on March 23 to consolidate on the victory already won by the party in the states where supplementary elections have been scheduled.

     

  • PDP disowns presidential campaign ‘timetable’

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has disowned what it described as a phony presidential campaign timetable currently circulating in some traditional and social media platforms.

    Spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement on Tuesday, said the PDP has not released any timetable or timeline for its presidential campaign.

    Read Also:PDP urges National Assembly to probe killing of soldiers

    Calling on its members and supporters to disregard the fake timetable, the party said the presidential campaign council would soon come up with the authentic timetable.

    The statement said, “The fabricators of the post even went further to allocate venues and dates for zonal rallies, which they claimed to have emanated from the PDP Presidential Campaign Council.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, the PDP clarifies that it has not yet released any timetable or timelines for our presidential campaigns. Similarly, our party has not yet allotted any dates or venues for our campaigns.

    “The leadership of the PDP therefore urges all our members and supporters across board to completely disregard the said timetable on the social media, as it did not emanate from the PDP.

    “The PDP Presidential Campaign Council led by His Excellency, Senator Bukola Saraki, will soon make public the authentic timetable for our presidential campaign and such information will have the full seal of our party and disseminated through PDP official handles.”

     

  • Saraki’s Presidential aspiration a huge joke – APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) said on Wednesday that Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki lacked the capacity to become the President of Nigeria, describing his aspirations as a huge joke.

    The party challenged the Senate President to showcase his achievement in his eight years in office as governor of Kwara State that qualifies him for the office of the President, pointing out that a presidential candidate aspirant who is promising to create jobs and infrastructures should have evidence of his past achievement in that area.

    Read Also:Saraki heads 85-member PDP’s Osun campaign council

    Acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, Yekini Nabena said in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja that as Senate President, Saraki used the position to superintend over budget padding, sabotage the executive by frustrating confirmation of presidential nominees among others.

    The statement reads: “At last, the Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki has declared his intention to run for the Presidency of Nigeria. While the All Progressives Congress (APC) welcomes him to the race as it is his right to do so as a Nigerian Citizen, there are however many issues that border on his integrity, antecedents, competence and capability to preside over the affairs of the country.

    “Meanwhile, we are not unaware of reports that Saraki’s presidential declaration is his tactic to deflect attention from the deluge of issues he deals with particularly ahead of the 2019 General Elections i.e. pressure to reconvene the National Assembly, a fast shifting political order in Kwara State, among others.

    “Saraki in his declaration speech stated among others:
    •       I have decided to heed the call of teeming youths who have asked me to run for the Presidency.
    •       I have what it takes to secure inclusive growth for Nigeria.
    •       I will address our infrastructural deficiency through aggressive financial initiatives.
    •       Our fight against corruption will be on deterrence.
    •       I offer leadership driven by empathy.

    “On these few points, we are mindful of the popular axiom: “By their fruits, we shall know them”. By virtue of Saraki’s antecedents, he is an abysmal failure and is totally incompetent to offer himself as a candidate for leadership of Nigeria.

    “As Kwara State Governor, was his Shonga Agricultural Programme not a white elephant project in which hundreds of millions of State funds was sunk into? “The infrastructure, particularly roads network in Kwara State in which the present administration remains under his tight grip and political machinations long after leaving office, remains deplorable while state resources is mismanaged through corrupt enrichment.

    “A Presidential aspirant, who promises to create jobs and turn around the economy at the national level, must have done so in a state he served as Governor for eight years. We challenge Saraki to give the nation his scorecard as a Kwara State.

    “As Senate President, how Saraki used the position to superintend over budget padding, sabotage of the executive by frustrating confirmation of presidential nominees, stalling legislative approvals for election budgets and his recent shadow boxing on the Electoral Act, among other treacherous actions against the APC (which he was then a member) in pursuit of his selfish political interests has been well reported.

    “Was Saraki’s Senate Presidency not a journey of shame and disgrace? – moving from one Court or Tribunal to another over charges of forgery of Senate Rules, false declaration of assets, and being linked with armed robbers who brutally killed and maimed innocent residents in Offa recently.

    “Saraki says he is heeding the call of Nigerian youths to contest the Presidency. We are not aware of any meeting of Nigerian youths held during which they decided that. For the record, the #NotTooYoungToRun group berated Saraki for selfishly using their forum to make his presidential declaration.

    “We are not surprised by Saraki’s selfish actions as it has come to define his politics and persona. Saraki says he will offer leadership driven by empathy. Coming from an incredibly selfish and self-opinionated politician this is indeed an irony.

    “Saraki’s Presidential aspiration is a huge joke and should not be taken seriously. He has repeatedly displayed his character as extremely selfish, deceitful, untrustworthy and unreliable. His only goal is to get to the top, stay at the top, ruin or wreck whatever he finds there or in the event of failure, collapse the system or process.

    “Nigerians have had enough of Dr. Bukola Saraki’s retrogressive and disruptive style of politics and deserve no more.”

  • Saraki, Tambuwal, others exit have no dent on APC – Buhari

    …they are conservatives, migrant, rolling stone politicians says Oshiomhole

     

    President Muhammadu Buhari said on Thursday that the defection of Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, Governors Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (Sokoto), Abdulfatai Ahmed (Kwara) and Samuel Ortom (Benue) and some members of the National Assembly which was meant to cripple the party barely had any dent on the APC.

    The President spoke just as the National Chairman of the party; Comrade Adams Oshiomhole described those who have left the party as conservatives whose departure will strengthen the party since they never believed in the change agenda and the spirit of progressives.

    Read Also:APC decides on primary today

    Buhari who spoke at the sixth National Executive Committee meeting of the APC and the first under the new leadership of the party said those who plotted the down fall of the party failed to muster the required number to cause an upset within the party, particularly the at chambers of the National Assembly.

    The President who arrived the APC national secretariat for the NEC meeting at about 11.20am and departed at exactly 2.16 pm however told the meeting that the party must ensure a hitch free, fair and credible primary which he said will be a precursor to the conduct of free, fair and credible general elections in 2019.

    While congratulating the current leadership of the party for their election, he said “the team emerged at a turbulent time when there were rumors and speculations of massive defections in such a way that could rock the very foundation of the party.

    “Despite reconciliatory attempt to keep the house together, some members were hell bent on pulling down the roof. They left, threatening to go along with scores of people. But due to the work of the new party Leadership, the exit barely made a dent on our super structure as they could not muster the figure they had envisages to cause an upset, particularly in the two chambers of the National Assembly. APC remain in control and is increasing by the day with quality people joining the party.”

    The President said further that as the party match towards the conduct of party primaries, “I ask All and sundry to ensure that we play the game according to the rules. Let us come out with free, fair and credible primaries which will be a precursor to free, fair and credible election next year.

    “Let us shine the light through our primaries and the rest of the country will find the way. Our primaries must be in complete compliance with the provisions of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, the electoral act and above all, the constitution of the party.

    “This is the time we must work for unity, harmony and togetherness. Let us all join hands to move the party forward. We must take our party to the next level and I urge all and sundry to give support to our National Working Committee.

    “The new National Executive Committee members assumed duty at a very critical time. With the general elections coming very early next year, 2019, any political party worth its salt must get its internal dynamics right and match as a team towards a deceive time such a major election in the country.

    “Today, we are meeting to look at some major decisions that will ensure an excellent performance at the polls next year. Starting with party primaries at various levels, I urge you all to ensure that decisions taken here are those that be for the good of the party and meets the yearnings and expectations of our teeming members and supporters nationwide. They look up to us for guidance and we must not disappoint or fail them.”

    He assured of his commitment to fulfill his Electoral promises, saying “Hope is rekindled in our heart that we will give our country purposeful leadership and improve the quality of life of the people.

    “We will continue to secure the country, fight graft and reposition the economy in such a way that jobs can be provided for our youth and give them a future and hope. We will fulfill all the promises we made to Nigerians. We are fulfilling them and will continue to serve with heart and might to build a nation where peace and justice and prosperity shall reign.”

    Addressing the meeting, National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole said ambition was responsible for the exit of all those who left the part6 and not because of anything done to them by the party.

    While practically referring to them as conservatives, he said “I stumbled on a quote which might interest Mr. President and I think it summarises what has happened to us. I can’t find anything more appropriate.

    “I do not know exactly the occasion and I don’t know the date this statement was made by one of Nigeria’s foremost political leaders who was described as the best president Nigeria never had, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

    “In one of his works, he said, ‘For the Progressives to be in power, they need the support and collaboration of some Conservatives. After attaining power, the conservatives would on their own move away. The progressives, once the conservatives have moved away on their own, would now build a great party that will move the nation forward’.

    “Mr. President, the conservatives have moved away. So, this was bound to happen because when we promised change, they all sang it, but it had different meanings to different people.

    “For some, it was to be the change that would lead to more of the same but for the Nigerian people; they know that change meant a move from a political order that services only the political elite at the expense of the poor and the masses.

    “When it became clear that this change cannot allow business as usual, the conservatives left on their own. Our party is stronger, smarter, more cohesive and there is no better evidence than the fact that we have won all the major elections after they left the party.”

    Going down memory lane on efforts made by the Leadership to address grievances by members, Oshiomhole said “After our elections, we worked hard to meet with people from the states who had issues arising from the congresses and we reassured them that we would treat every case on its merit and I believe that we have done a lot of that and will continue to do what we have to do to ensure that there is peace and unity in the state chapters.

    “We also had meetings with the APC caucus in the senate and thereafter we had a meeting with the APC caucus in the House of Representatives. At those meetings, we reassured everyone that as a party that is democratic, there will be issues and contestations but that the most important thing is for us to be able to see through the issues.

    “I am happy to report that as a result of those engagements, many senators and members of the House of Representatives renewed confidence in our party. But those who were determined to leave, not on account of what anybody has done wrong against them, but on account of an ambition they believe they cannot realize on our platform, even though they were not denied the opportunity to try out that ambition, but perhaps because they could read like an Oracle what the future would be particularly as people have contested before when we didn’t have any incumbent.

    “I had thought that by the provisions in our party constitution, they had the right to contest and that right was not going to be denied them. But reflecting on what has happened in the past and reading the minds of party members and leaders, they came to the conclusion that the only way they can realize their ambition was to relocate and they relocated. Of course, for distant observers, they think that this is a huge blow to our party.

    “I made a comment which seems to have been misunderstood in some quarters, when I said that if some individuals of no particular fixed political address decide to leave, I will not lose my sleep.

    “I speak of no particular fixed address because if you have a history of moving every season from one political party to the other with one constant thing in mind, to contest, now what is your political address? So, for people like that who are migrant politicians, rolling stone politicians, I am not able to identify their political address and therefore, I refuse to miss my sleep.

    “But some people said this was arrogant, but we also need to be blunt. What can you do about someone who feels that in every election, he must contest and if he cannot win he must decamp. Some have decamped as many times as the many elections that has taken place.”

    He said further: “I made a commitment on behalf of the leadership of the party that every one of persons who have grievances, no matter the nature of those grievances, arising from genuine misunderstanding, arising from communication gap, arising from conflict of interest, our responsibility is to help this party to find common ground and do genuine reconciliation, play up what unite us, down play what divide us so that together, we can continue to work together within the party and address issues that affect our Vision.

    “I am proud that most of the people who have such issues have confidence that the party will listen and we have listened and have resolved a lot of the issues. Today, I am sure that many of our senators, House of Representatives members and leaders across the country who have issues have seen that the issues are being resolved and now have greater confidence in the activities of our party.

    “I will continue to assure them that we will not pretend that there will be no conflict tomorrow. What we promise is that as they arise, God will give us the wisdom, patience and courage to do justice and make them feel comfortable within the family of the APC.”

    “We have seen people who go back to their communities to decamp and we see ‘uncommon defectors’ but the others sat in their chambers, in a Guest House and prepared their defection notes. Some are known to have remained in Abuja, detained by their own consciences and unable to visit their constituencies.

    “So, I want to assure you that we have purged ourselves of excess fats that would have possibly interfered in the flow of blood in our vain. We are stronger, more determined and we are much certain of our future.”

    Turning to the President, he said “We asked the President to continue to provide leadership to deal with the vices that has detained Nigeria in the last and which seems to explain the paradox that has detained Nigeria, a country that is so rich and its people so poor.

    “Mr. President, God has a purpose for sparing your life and that is because you have not finished the mission that He entrusted to you, to lead the forces of change, to reposition our country, reorder our values and to encourage all of us.

    “Those who submit to change, in spite of their past still have a chance to play a role in the commitment to rebuild the nation and ensure it offer hope to every citizen.

    “Mr. President, you are the only one who has had the courage to look at western leaders’ eye ball to eye ball and as them to return the stolen money. If you have stolen money in their vault, you won’t have the courage to say so. None of your predecessors have had the courage to say so in the manner that you did. Those are thing we are proud of and they give us courage and confidence that Nigerians will not be fooled come 2019.”

  • Osinbajo in the saddle

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in the past 10 working days was clearly calling the shots as Acting President.

    He stepped in as President Muhammadu Buhari embarked on holiday in London on Friday, August 3.

    Osinbajo was not new to the terrain as he has been Acting President for a longer period last year.

    What is new now is that his impact and authority were more felt while the President was away.

    To digress a bit, just before the President left Nigeria for London on August 3, there was a strong rumour that the holiday was just a plot to allow Buhari’s men to clamp down on the National Assembly.

    It was said that the period will be used to specifically to impeach the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki in order to give the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) control of the legislative arm of government.

    But with the 10-day holiday over, the rumour never came to reality while Osinbajo was in the saddle.

    Instead of facing the legislature as was rumoured before Buhari’s trip to London, Osinbajo’s impact, authority and drastic changes were felt and seen more in the executive arm of government.

    As a starter, Osinbajo on his third working day as Acting President, that is on August 7, terminated the appointment of the immediate past Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Lawal Musa Daura.

    Daura had stormed the National Assembly with armed and masked DSS security personnel without the knowledge or approval of the Presidency.

    He prevented lawmakers, journalists and management and staff from accessing the complex.

    Not a few Nigerians were happy and surprised at the same time when Osinbajo immediately announced Daura’s sack after the National Assembly blockage.

    That Osinbajo’s action alone on that Tuesday was believed to have sent warning signals to every top government officials in the executive arm of government.

    The clear message from Osinbajo’s action was that no nonsense, undemocratic and illegal practices would be entertained under his watch.

    Members of the cabinet, including ministers, were also believed to have adjusted to the new order.

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held the following day after Daura’s sack provided the opportunity for Nigerians to see what the body languages of the cabinet members would be to the new order.

    For the first time since Osinbajo was presiding over FEC as Acting President or Vice President, a higher number of ministers were at the Council chamber when the meeting started around 10a.m on the 8th of August 2018.

    Twenty-three ministers out of thirty-four ministers (apart from the President who doubles as Petroleum Minister and former Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed who left for United Nations’ job) were in attendance during the rendition of the National anthem on that Wednesday.

    That figure was a sharp contrast to what normally played out anytime Osinbajo was presiding over FEC when the President was outside the country.

    Apart from special FEC meetings to prepare for annual Federal Government budget before the document is sent to the National Assembly for consideration, many ministers were believed to always find one reason or the other to stay away from such FEC meetings chaired by Osinbajo.

    Some ministers not listed to be on trip with the President when he embarks on official engagements abroad were also mostly unaccounted for during Osinbajo led-FEC meetings.

    They had their field days last year when Osinbajo was Acting President for some months when the President was on medical vacation in London.

    But Osinbajo’s new no nonsense stance  was again re-echoed as Acting President last week Tuesday, 14th August, 2018.

    He ordered immediate overhaul of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police.

    A statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Laolu Akande, reads: “Following persistent complaints and reports on the activities of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) that border on allegations of human rights violations, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to, with immediate effect, overhaul the management and activities of SARS and ensure that any Unit that will emerge from the process, will be intelligence-driven and restricted to the prevention and detection of armed robbery and kidnapping, and apprehension of offenders linked to the stated offences, and nothing more.

    “The Acting President has also directed the IGP to ensure that all operatives in the emerging Unit conduct their operations in strict adherence to the rule of law and with due regard to International Human Rights Law and the constitutionally guaranteed rights of suspects.

    “The operatives should also bear proper identification anytime they are on duty.

    “In the meantime, the Acting President has directed the National Human Rights Commission to set up a Special Panel that will conduct an investigation of the alleged unlawful activities of SARS in order to afford members of the general public the opportunity to present their grievances with a view to ensuring redress,” he stated

    That order again came a day before the next FEC meeting of 15th August 2018.

    Directly or indirectly responding to the new developments, the attendance at the commencement of the FEC meeting on 15th August again improved over the FEC meeting of 8th of August, 2018.

    Twenty-eight ministers were in attendance when the last FEC meeting started.

    The ministers who were in the Council chamber during rendition of the National anthem at the opening ceremony of FEC last Wednesday included Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Minister of State for Health, Minister of Water Resources.

    Others were Minister of Women Affairs, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Power, Works and Housing and the two minister of State in the ministry.

    Also in attendance were Minister of State for Agriculture, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Minister of State for Mines and Steel, Minister of State for Education, Minister of Information.

    Others included Minister of Defence, Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Minister of Science and Technology, Minister of Trade and Investment.

    Also at the Council chamber at the commencement of the meeting were Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Minister of Budget and National Planning, Minister of Sports, Minister of Finance.

    Others were Minister of Labour, Minister of State for Environment, Minister of Transportation, Minister of Communication, Minister of Federal Capital Territory.

    Also at the meeting were the Minister of State for Aviation and Minister of State for Labour.

    With the new trend and the ministers turn up, almost 100% attendance (with the exception of the President who doubles as the Minister of Petroleum Resources and former Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed) would have been achieved if Osinbajo had more time to remain as Acting President.

    The Osinbajo led National Economic Council (NEC) meeting last Thursday also decided to set up a committee headed by the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to decentralize Police operations towards tackling insecurity in the country.

    The frequent news of killings in parts of the country also somehow reduced drastically during the 10-working days.

    With the President back in the country, it is hoped that the new momentum and order will be sustained.

    • This piece waas billed for publication last week

  • Oshiomhole: Saraki will be impeached legally

    National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole said on Friday that the party will work for the impeachment of Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki in accordance with the laws of the land and in accordance with democratic norms across the world and not by thuggery.

    Oshiomhole also said that the only thing the Senate President can do to avoid impeachment will be to take the honourable part and resign his position which he occupied by provision of being a member of the majority party in the senate, adding that there is no way a minority party can rule over majority in the senate.

    Addressing a news conference at the party headquarters in Abuja, the APC chairman said that since becoming the senate President, Senator Saraki has never done anything with the interest of the nation at heart, adding that every action of the Senate President has been dictated by his personal interest.

    Read Also:More pressure on Saraki to quit Senate presidency

    Oshiomhole vowed that apart from having Senator Saraki impeached as senate President, the party will work hard to ensure that he does not return to the senate during the 2019 general election, stressing that the people of Kwara State are fed up with his brand of politics which has not impacted positively on them.

    He accused Senator Saraki of betraying the party to clinch the senate Presidency by entering into an alliance with the opposition party and offering them the position of the deputy Senate President.

    While accusing the Senate President of putting personal interest above national interest, Oshiomhole said that attempt to use the invasion of the National Assembly on Tuesday to portray himself as the conscience of the nation is to insult our collective intelligence as a people.

    Oshiomhole said: “We decided to call for this press conference basically to respond to issues raised by the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki during his press conference.

    “It is important that we respond to some of the issues he canvassed so that the public is not misled into turning villains into heroes and twisting the facts that are not hidden to the Nigerian public. It is important that we help the Nigerian public by refreshing their memories.

    “The senate President raised the issues of the fact that he has always acted not on t basis of his own personal interest, but that he has always acted on the basis of national interest. The truth is that it is doubtful if the senate president has ever acted either in the National, interest or in t interest of his own political party before his defection recently.

    “Without going back to ancient history, it is important to look at how Senator Bukola Saraki became the President of the Senate. He decided, clearly, against the party position to enter into a deal with the opposition PDP and got a faction of the PDP, taking advantage of the provisions of the provision while majority of the APC senators were holding a meeting at the International conference Centre to resolve the issue of leadership of the senate and other principal officers that are expected to be produced by the ruling party with majority senators.

    “By putting his personal interest over and above the interest of the party, he went into alliance with PDP and conceded the position of the position of deputy senate president to the opposition in other to obtain the support of the opposition for him to become the senate President.

    “So, for the first time in our democratic history in Nigeria, we had a situation whereby, whereas the APC had majority of senators, it went on to elect a PDP person as deputy senate President. This action alone portray Senator Saraki for who he is and that his personal interest come before an6 other interest, including the National, interest and that of his politics party.

    “Having went into this unholy alliance with the opposition and mortgage the rights of the ruling party, he appointed opposition senators to Head strategic committees whose activities can affect either for good or for bad, the working of government and the relationship between the government and the legislature by grading away those strategic and sensitive positions.

    “Senator Saraki did that in other to continue to protect himself against the wishes of his party as senate President. That showed that the only thing that was constant in his mind was to cling on to the position of senate president even if it is at the expense of his own party and the country.

    “Even the media has consistently draw attention to how senate Saraki is managing the senate to the extent that questions have been raised as to whose interest the senate was serving.

    “You do not have a partisan politician appreciate that in an election year, every democratic government around the world would do everything possible to ensure that it is seen to be working for the people of the country.

    “Like any other political party in government, Nigerians expected the APC government under President Buhari to do everything possible this year to make up for lost time in terms of budget implementation and addressing critical infrastructures without which sustainable development is impossible.

    “The senate under senator Saraki choose to delay the budget up to the end of the first half of the year and to coincide with the period of the rainy season such that those aspect of infrastructure such as roads cannot be constructed during the rainy season.

    “These were not errors of the Head under his leadership, but clearly designed to frustrate the capacity of the government to address critical infrastructural deficit without which the ordinary man cannot feel the impact of governance.

    “Again on receipt of the budget, the President cried out that it was a clear distortion from the well thought proposal that he submitted to them. He appreciated that while they can make alteration to the budget, he did not expect that it will be completely rewritten as to make far more provisions for recurrent expenditure with very little for capital projects. He said this budget will be difficult to implement.

    “So, when I said he has never put the interest of Nigeria first, I support this statement by reference to the deliberate delay of the budget and deliberate manipulation of the provisions in the budget in a way that will compromise the capacity of the government to address critical infrastructures.

    “It is no longer a secret that as senate President, he tried to conspire with others to create a semblance of division within the ruling party having failed to truncate the convention, when they assembled a handful of people who were neither delegates nor contest for any office at the convention to purport to have formed a political party.

    “There is nothing for me to add to the illegality of this action and the false foundation that Senator Saraki tried to leave than to adopt the well thought out presentation of Femi Falana.”

    He said the actions of the senate President and his utterances did not portray hi. As a man who have the interest of his people at heart, saying “Those things did not portray him as someone who is concerned about sustaining democracy because sustaining democracy also implies absolute commitment to the rule of law.

    “If the rule of law is compromised and Nigeria is reduced to banana republic when it will be survival of the fittest, he is probably not the strongest man in town to cling on to that office. So, each time he takes an action that constitute a breach of the constitution, he is, by his own action undermining the foundation and weakening the fabrics of our democracy.

    “However, upon his illegal defection, which he had to do hurriedly because the number of senators he was playing on their fears that they will not be able to return to the senate.

    He said further that Senator Saraki had planned to reduce the APC to a minority party in the party and compiled a list of 36 senators who were to sign their agreement to defect to the PDP, but was frustrated when some of the senators refused to sign.

    “At a point, he has on his list, about 36 Senators who were about to defect. But consequent upon our election, we took preemptive steps to reassure some of those senators.

    “The first meeting we held after our election was with Senator SARAKI to try and listen to his grievances and this I did in company of the Vice President and he acknowledged that those steps were taken when he was leaving, to listen to what I called negotiable and verifiable grievances.

    “But however, his real grievances are not negotiable which is about ambition, value and his fundamental values and the values of the APC. When he defected, he went to Ilorin to tell the people part of the truth that he was leaving for two reasons.

    “He alleged that Buhari gave out over 200 juicy appointments without allocating some to him and he chooses to speak for the Speaker of the House of Representatives that he was also not given. He lamented that he was not given a share of the so called 200 juicy positions.

    “My question is, giving SARAKI, the Senate President juicy position; does that coincide with the Nigerian project? Or the interest of the people of Kwara State of his Senatorial zone. At no time did he refer to the interest of the people of his constituency or the people of Nigeria.

    “The second reason he gave was that he was being persecuted. That is alleged persecution of his person and not his people. He never pretended that any of these actions had anything, to do with the people of Nigeria, but his person.

    “I think the governor of Kwara State was more explicit in collaborating his claim when he said that he as governor and Saraki as senate President were being link to armed robbery cases. Again, that has nothing to do with the Nigerian project or the Kwara people.

    “What is the truth? Who linked Senator Saraki to armed robbery? Was it the federal government t or arrested armed robbers? It is the armed robbers that alleged that the weapons with which they carried out the operation were procured for them by senate President. This is contained in the police report which is no longer a secret.

    “He has not denied knowledge of these people since some of them were captured in his entourage during his condolence visit. So. If armed robbers linked the name of the senate president, is the APC or the government to blame?

    “A crime that led to the killing of about 35 persons cannot be dismissed with a wave of hand and in any jurisdiction, when your name is linked to such heinous crime, people don’t clap for you. It is the duty of the security agents to investigate and establish whether they are valid or invalid.

    “So, if he was linked to armed robbery, which cannot be an offense of the government or the APC. The best defense I have heard is that the robbers said that he did not ask them to use the weapon for armed robbery.

    “In support of my thesis that Saraki has never acted in the national interest, my final submission is on the way he adjourned the senate. The senate calendar is not a secret to the presiding officer and the calendar that was known was that the senate was going to adjourn on a Thursday.

    “But by Monday night, SARAKI used his guest house, wrote out names of senators with provision for them to sign for senators to decamp from the APC to the PDP, but some of the senators refused to sign. That is what frustrated his calculations to turn the APC to a minority party in the senate. Is it a coincidence that as he was reading the names of defectors in the senate, his counter in the House was also doing same.

    “So, there was coordination for defection day. But happily, the preemptive measure we have taken to address genuine grievances frustrated their number such that from 36, he could not get more than 14 senators to decamp including one that subsequently overcame the manipulation.

    “Between Tuesday and Thursday, the senate was expected to discuss the supplementary budget for INEC. INEC requirement are not things that you buy from the shelf. You have to order them from the manufacturers and so, time is of the essence.

    “But the senate under SARAKI adjourned without considering the matters before it including the budget for INEC. So, if SARAKI adjourned the senate ahead of schedule to resume towards the end of nominations, can that act be said to coincide with national interest.

    “If you decide to frustrate INEC by denying it the funds that it requires, can you be said to be a defender of democracy? If INEC don’t get their funds and therefore are unable to conduct t credible election, will that not lead to further consequences for our democracy?

    “So, I submit that SARAKI, s action were calculated to undermine democracy. Those who fought for democracy y did not do it so that it can be runner at the mercies of a senate president whose interest is clearly at variance with national interest. There was a request for virement which was also not considered.

    “A substantial part of the 2018 budget meant for capital project was supposed to be sourced through loan and under the constitution; you cannot borrow from foreign countries without the express endorsement of the national, assembly. Without those loans, the budget cannot be implemented.

    “While this was pending, Senator SARAKI put his personal interest above his office and chooses to adjourn the senate, leaving these huge national issues unattended to. So, for an officer that behave like that, how he can argue that anything he did was not about himself.

    “Everything he did has never been informed by National interest. There are also allegations of lack of transparency and we have seen Nigerians trying to demystify what they earn. We have an arm that is completely unaccountable because of the way he has presided.

    “Therefore, his attempt to use the incident at the National Assembly on Tuesday to portray himself as the conscience of the nation is to insult our collective intelligence as a people.

    “There is the futile attempt he has made to suggest that the Tuesday’s incidence was an attempt to carry out an illegal impeachment. How can a presiding office arrive at such a conclusion that there was a plan to carry out an illegal impeachment.

    “Until an action takes place, you cannot determine the outcome, if impeachment itself is unlawful, then you can understand where he is coming from. It is lawful to impeach anyone, including the President the Senate and his deputy if the number required to do so is present.

    “So, he cannot preempt that. From their own statement, they claimed to be aware that the Senate Preside t was going to be illegally impeached and so mobilized thugs to the senate. They told the world that they have adjourned till 25th September.

    “But meanwhile, about 15 PDP Senators were in the Senate and imported things that molested two of our members they signed in the senate. D8s you find any APC senator in the senate? If APC senators were not in the senate and it was PDP Senators that were there, what is the basis of the false claim that there was an attempt to carry out an illegal impeachment.

    “In any case, SARAKI is not going to be the first senate president to be impeached and I doubt is he is going to be the last. But definitely, he will be impeached according to law and democratic norms. The only way he can avoid impeachment is for him to do what is honourable.

    “We saw Senator Akpabio who was the PDP leader in the senate. Once he made up his mind to leave the PDP, he wrote to inform the PDP even before his defection that he was resigning.

    “So, Senator SARAKI has demonstrated neither character nor being a man of honour. I told him when we held a meeting that he came to join the APC as a senator and it is on our platform that you became senate president. Once you made up your mind to leave, the honourable thing to do is to resign as senate president.

    “If he does not resign, he will be impeached according to law and not by thuggery or by mob or anything that undemocratic. He cannot sustain a minority rule in the senate and that is what is hunting him in the senate.

    “When I say that the senate president will be impeached, let me emphasis that he will be impeached properly according to law. The constitution is clear how a presiding officer can be impeached and because several impeachment has taken place, we are not about to witness what has not taken place before.

    “We have enough precedent to fall back on. I have looked at the constitution which does not say that an impeachment is illegal. It is done, you cannot arrive at the conclusion that it is unlawful. How can we be accused of planning an illegal impeachment when it has not commenced.

    “If he think that by saying that he will preempt the APC from having him impeached, he is deceiving himself. I think that the time of SARAKI is over, the way he has manipulated the politics of Kwara stat, he failed to understand that the Nigerian project is far mor complicated than being at the mercy of his own dynasty.

    “He will not only be impeached, we will work hard to have him defeated as a senator in his own Senatorial zone come 2019 by the people of Kwara stage who are fed up with Saraki. Go and check the results of the elections that made him a senator and you will find out that the President got more votes from Kwara Central that Saraki got for himself.

    “So, he can’t claim that the vote the APC got from his Senatorial zone was because of him. They were inspite of him and that is why his leaving is of no political consequences as far as electoral issues are concerned. We tried to talk to him, not out of fear, but out of conviction that as a presiding officer, there are rules of engagement and we don’t him to get so emotional as to affect those rules of engagements.”

  • I’ll rather quit politics than leave PDP – Makarfi

    A presidential hopeful, Alhaji Ahmed Makarfi, has ruled out the possibility of leaving the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for any other political party if he does not win the party’s ticket for the country’s top job in 2019.

    He said he would rather quit politics, instead of joining any other political group.

    Makarfi said this on Saturday while addressing newsmen at the PDP secretariat in Minna, the Niger State capital.

    Thenationonlineng.net reports that Makarfi is in Minna to drum up support for his presidential bid in 2019.

    “If I leave PDP, I would leave politics. If I was to leave PDP, I could have defected a long time ago.So that possibility is not there,” he said

    The one time governor of Kaduna said he predicted the recent mass defections to PDP, adding that the biggest challenge is managing it.

    “I welcome all the defectors and as a matter of fact I predicted it. I said it that after the APC convention you would see a lot of defections and that’s what has happened.

    “But the challenge is how to manage it. If we manage it well, the party would be better for it but if we don’t we may run into problems,” he said.

    His position in Minna on the defectors, is softer than what he said in Lokoja on Friday, when he warned his party against giving them special treatment.

    The said if not for the steadfastness of committed members, PDP could have become history.

    “Some people when you pinch them like this (touching his arm), they will run to another party. When the going was tough, I stayed on… but you accept them into your house and give them your guest room. Next, they take the Master Bedroom; next, they drive you out of your house. We must not allow this, nor give undue advantage to them, so that we do not alienate our people.

    “Modu Sheriff was brought from another party; they said he had three jets; he had billions, but what did he do? He was taking the party down, but I, the ‘bush boy,’ with the support of others, I was able to make members close ranks, and today, we can all see.”

    Makarfi said Senator Bukola Saraki should be left alone as Senate President because he has not breached any provision of the constitution on account of his defection from APC to PDP.

    “The constitution says the senators should elect from among themselves and not from the majority party”, said Makarfi, who also was a senator from 2007 to 2011.

    “Party affiliations are only attached to other positions like minority whip, majority leader and so on

    “Therefore, Saraki should be left alone because he was elected based on constitutional provisions and his continued stay is lawful,” he added

    He noted that addressing issues of insecurity, unemployment, power, infrastructure and national unity would be his top priorities if given the chance to lead the country.

    “A basket of issues including security, infrastructure and power would be top of my priorities.

    “National cohesion is also key because we are divided and getting more divided by the day.

    “And this national cohesion is where the issue of restructuring comes in as it will address unemployment,” he added.

    Thenationonlineng.net reports that Makarfi is a former governor of Kaduna State and immediate past national chairman of the PDP

  • Saraki’s CoS dumps APC, says party shouldn’t be trusted in 2019 

    Chief of Staff to the Senate President, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmad on Monday dumped All Progressives Congress (APC), saying that, the party should not be trusted to rule beyond 2019.

    Baba-Ahmed who is also a one-time INEC Secretary however clarified that his decision to dump APC has nothing to do with his principal, Senator Bukola Saraki.

    He disclosed this while addressing   journalists in Kaduna on Monday, saying that he had already sent his resignation letter to the party chairman of his ward.

    Saraki’s aide described his decision to exit APC as a difficult one to make, adding that, he took the decision after due consultation with members of his Akida faction of APC in Kaduna.

    Read Also:Lagos APC commiserates with tanker explosion victims

    He explained that, he was not leaving APC to join another party, but that APC government has underperformed in the country.

    According to him, “this statement is to inform the public of my resignation from APC. I have sent a formal letter to this effect to chairman of my ward.

    “This has been a very difficult decision, to leave a party I helped to form and made my humble contributions to put in power.

    “After three years, however, I need to say that the APC has grossly under-performed and has forfeited any claim to my loyalty and continue membership.

    “I do not believe in all conscience, that it should be trusted and encouraged to continue to govern our great country beyond 2019.

    “I am not leaving to join another party. This is my decision and mine alone. It has nothing to do with the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki.

    “It’s a decision taken after due consultations with Akida Group, a group that has predated my appointment as Chief of Staff to the President of the Senate.

    “I will remain active in politics, as this is the main avenue for salvaging our nation from rising insecurity, poverty and divisions,” he said.

    Dr. Baba-Ahmed was one time chairman of CPC and Interim Chairman of APC in Kaduna state.

    He was later appointed as Chief of state to Senate President.

  • Police warns Saraki against interfering with investigation

    The Police Wednesday expressed shock over the allegation made by the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki that the Inspector General of Police, (IGP) Ibrahim Idris is plotting against him.

    The Police said the claim was an attempt to divert the Police investigation into the killings of more than 11 innocent people from kwara State and other States of the Federation by the killer squad who operate under the guise of a cult group.

    The Police also warned Saraki not to interfere with investigation noting that attempt to do so is an offence.

    The Police while trying to defend its action of transferring the case highlighted some cases that were transferred from State commands to the Force headquarters.

    Read Also:Senate Vs IGP: Police Chief’s Attitude disrespects Nigerians, Democracy – PFN

    It also explained that the transfer was in accordance with Police investigation procedures adding that the IGP had no vested interest in the case.

    This is contained in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday by the Force Spokesman, ACP Jimoh Moshood.

    The statement reads: “The attention of the Nigeria Police Force has been drawn to Press Statement credited to the Senate President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki of  “Plot against him by IGP”.

    “The Nigeria Police Force is shocked at the unbelievable claims, unverifiable allegations and unfounded accusations being peddled against the IGP by the Senate President, accusing the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris of plot and strategies against him to settle scores.

    “The Force therefore wishes to categorically state that, there is no iota of truth in the allegation and false assertion by the Senate President of plot against him by the IGP to implicate the Kwara State Government and the Senate President in any criminal matter.

    “Until investigation is concluded, any person (s) or group(s) who tries to interfere in the investigation process by action or utterances is committing an offence.”

    Giving more insight about the suspects mentioned by the Senate President, the police said:  “To set the records straight, the Kwara State Police Command on the 11th of May, 2018, paraded the following suspects before the Media and the Public, namely;

    Abolaji Safti Ojulari of Kankatu area, Ilorin,  Lanre  Mohammed Soliu a.k.a Askari of Ile Nda Compound, Ilorin, Azeez Moyaki of Moyaki Compound, Gambari Area Ilorin,  Suleiman Babatunde of Gambari Area, Ilorin,  Yusuf Habeeb of Kangile Village, Kulende, Ilorin and Umar Yahaya of Kangile Village, Kulende,  Ilorin.

    “The suspects admitted and confessed before the press and the public to have killed 11 innocent persons in kwara State and other States of the country.”

    The Police said the suspects confessed to have killed their targets on the instructions of their sponsors.

    Names of some of the victims who were killed in cold blood according to the Police are; “Bukola Ajikobi killed on 18/01/2016 at ajikobi Area in Ilorin,  Azeez Lawal killed in February, 2018 at Oja oba area of Ilorin,  Lateef (Surname unknown) killed February, 2018 at Ode Alfa Nda area of Ilorin,  Jamiu (Surname unknown) killed in February 2018 at Idi ape area, Ilorin and One segun (Surname unknown) killed in September, 2017 at kankatu area of Ilorin.

    Others are: “Wasiu (Surname unknown) killed in September 29, 2016 at Shao garage of Ilorin,  Musiliu (Surname unknown) killed in February, 2018 at Shao Area Ilorin,  Bayo Ajia killed in January 18, 2018 at taiwo Road, Ilorin, Another Lateef killed in January 2016 at Baboko Area of Ilorin,  Abbey a student of Kwara Polytechnic killed in April, 2017 at Niger Road, Ilorin and Lanre (Surname unknown) killed on 23rd August, 2015 at Isale Aluko Area of Ilorin.”

    On why the case was transferred to the Force Headquarters, Moshood said: “Consequent upon the public confessions of these vicious and notorious killer squad to the killings in cold blood of more than 11 innocent people in Kwara State and other States of the Federation, the statutory procedure and practice in the Force is that such a heinous crime and capital offence is transferred to the Force Headquarters for further investigation.

    “This is to enable a thorough and discreet investigation into the crime.”

    On whether the IGP has any special interest in the case, the statement stated: “It is pertinent to state that, there is no vested interest by the Inspector General of Police in the ongoing investigation into the several murders committed by this killer gang, other than ensuring that justice prevails in the matter.

    “Nobody, no matter how highly placed would be allowed to interfere or obstruct Police investigation to pervert the course of justice.”

    On some of the cases transferred to Abuja, Moshood said: “It is also imperative to let the public know that last year, suspects arrested over the mayhem and killings of innocent people in Ile-Ife, Osun State and those arrested in Southern Kaduna crisis in Kaduna State and suspects arrested in connection with Zaki-biam killings in Benue State were all transferred to the Force Headquarters, Abuja for further investigation before they were arraigned in court of competent jurisdiction.

    “Therefore, transferring this hired assassin gang masquerading as cultists in kwara State to Force Headquarters, Abuja for further investigation is in accordance with Police investigation procedures.”

    The Police said the statement credited to the Senate President can discourage living victims and deceased families of those who must have been killed by the gang from coming forward to give evidence against them.

    The Police urged members of the public to disregard and the claim of plot by the IGP against the Senate President as a ruse, unfortunate and an attempt to divert Police investigation into the killings of more than 11 innocent people.

    The Force also said it will leave no stone unturned and will do everything within the ambit of the law to ensure justice in the matter, no matter whose ox is gored.