Bukola Saraki, the senate president, has insisted that the All Progressive’s Congress, APC, has no power to remove him as the Senate President and that he is not ready to relinquish seat.
He made this statement while speaking to journalists in Minna, Niger State, on Monday, September 17, 2018, after a visit to former military ruler, Ibrahim Babangida.
Although Mr Saraki did not state the reason for his visit to Mr Babangida, it is, however, believed it has to do with his presidential ambition.
Adams Oshiomhole, the national chairman of APC, has asked Mr Saraki to step down as senate president following his defection to the PDP.
A suit on the issue was also filed in the Federal High Court Abuja – a suit which the federal government asked the court to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction.
The senate president had told leaders of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, at its secretariat in the state capital that the party was in the majority in the upper chamber of the National Assembly.
“They know that we are in the majority, and whatever they want to do, they know that they don’t have
the number.
“One thing is clear, I will not sacrifice the interest of the country for my personal interest, and in the
last three years as a senate president, I have demonstrated that my interest is second to that of national interest, I will not step down from the Senate presidency,” he said.
Mr Saraki also dismissed the call by the APC for the National Assembly to reconvene for the purpose of
removing him, describing it as unnecessary and explained that since the senate was properly adjourned, it would reconvene as scheduled after its annual break.
“We did not adjourn the Senate in the dark, there was a procedure, where at the end of the session there
was a vote and it was seconded that we should go on annual recess.
“So it wasn’t anything done in the secret, everybody was there. It is not that some few people met somewhere and took the decision. Everybody participated and everybody took the decision that we should adjourn for a normal annual recess.
“The date that we agreed to resume is the same date that we resumed last year and the year before, so there is nothing abnormal about the Senate adjournment,” he explained.
The lawmaker further stated that his plan was for Nigeria to be a country rooted in the rule of law and
democratic process. He said the most important for him is to ensure the autonomy of the three arms of
government, to allow rule of law, to ensure that we respect the democratic process.
Speaking on his political prowess in Kwara State, Mr Saraki described those opposing him as visiting
politicians to the state.
“They are not with the people, after the election they will go away and then they will come back six months to election and immediately after election they will go away, that has always been their pattern of politics and the people of Kwara are not stupid, they know those who are with them, they know those who
care for them.”
Read more at Nigerian Cable News
