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Senator Bukola Saraki
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Plans to get Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) senators-elect and members of the House of Representatives-elect to vote
en bloc for principal officers during today’s inauguration of the Eighth
National Assembly collapsed yesterday.
There
was also a split among the PDP governors on who to support between Senator
Ahmed Lawan and Senator Bukola Saraki for Senate president.
But
The Nation learnt
this morning that at a meeting of PDP Senators-elect in Abuja, 28 agreed to
back Saraki/Ike Ekweremadu ticket; 17 agreed to back Lawan/Akume ticket. That
was after Saraki decided to work with PDP in a desperate move to win the race.
Some
senators and members-elect rejected the suggestion by Ekiti State Governor
Ayodele Fayose that PDP senators should vote Saraki.
Lawan
at the weekend emerged the choice candidate of the All Progressives Congress
(APC) after a mock election by the party’s senators-elect. But the Saraki camp
rejected the straw poll and vowed to contest for the position on the floor
today.
The
APC is the majority party in the Senate, with 59 senators-elect. The PDP has 49
senators.
It
was learnt that at a meeting held by the PDP caucus on Sunday night
in former Senate President David Mark’s residence in Apo, Abuja, the
divided PDP senators-elect and their governors were said to have threatened to
draft one of them into the race if the APC failed to agree on a consensus
candidate.
Some
of the PDP senators said to be rooting for Saraki allegedly suggested that they
should forge a vibrant opposition on Tuesday by voting against the
APC consensus choice as a signal of what form of opposition to expect in the
Senate in the new dispensation.
The
PDP senators were said to have contended that voting against APC’s preferred
candidate would signpost a resolute stand to keep the PDP alive.
A
source at the meeting said a former principal officer in the Seventh Senate was
the brain behind the proposal.
The
source said most of the senators disagreed vehemently with the suggestion.
Those
opposed to the suggestion, it was learnt, averred that toeing the line of
action would only serve the interest of a few, particularly the governors,
rather than that of the PDP as a party.
The
source noted that most of the senators agreed that “we should wait and see what
the APC senators will come up with”.
He
said: “The surprise of the night was that some of the governors who former
President Goodluck Jonathan laboured to install were those at the vanguard of
the Saraki project, a man who practically destroyed PDP.
“Most
senators at the meeting viewed supporting Saraki as robbing Peter to pay Paul.
“They
contended that it will be bad politics to reward a man who took up arms against
his party, destroyed it and moved to build another one.”
The
meeting was said to have ended without the Senators taking a final decision on
who to back for Senate president.
A
former acting National Publicity Secretary of PDP Chief Bode Ojomu, yesterday
warned the party against supporting any of its defectors from either being the
Senate President or the Speaker.
Another
source said: “At the end of the day, we could not agree on bloc votes for any
of the candidates for the Senate and House of Representatives. Governor Fayose
pleaded with party leaders to see the battle as one between the PDP and Asiwaju
Bola Tinubu. He begged the party to ‘clip’ Tinubu’s wings.
“But
some senators-elect warned Fayose against going personal. They queried the
morality behind PDP supporting candidates who defected from the party to the
APC. They alleged that their defection led to the defeat of PDP at the polls.
“The
governors were also split on who to back for the National Assembly offices.”
“At
the end of the day, we could not reach a consensus on casting our votes en bloc
for either of the candidates. I can tell you that everyone is on his own.”
The
difficulty in arriving at a consensus has created an upset in Saraki’s camp.
It
was gathered that those who are pro-Saraki were trying to strengthen the accord
between their candidate and the immediate past Deputy President of the Senate,
Chief Ike Ekweremadu.
The
latest plot will lead to Saraki dumping Senator Ali Ndume as his favourite for
Deputy President of the Senate.
Another
source added: “They will continue to sell a dummy to Ndume that he will be
Deputy President of the Senate if Saraki gets the ticket.
“But
as soon as Saraki wins, they will nominate Ekweremadu who is expected to
deliver the bloc votes of the Senators-elect from the SouthEast in
collaboration with Senator Andy Uba.”
Uba
and Ekweremadu could not be reached for comments last night.
It
was gathered that the collapse of consensus by PDP has created a serious
setback for Yakubu Dogara who is seeking to contest for Speaker of the House of
Representatives with the party’s candidate, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Dogara
could only garner support from 55 out of the 209 APC members-elect for the
House of Representatives.
Another
source said: “Dogara had banked on permutations that 120 PDP members-elect will
vote for him but his hope was dashed last night by the split in the party.
“In
fact, to earn the support of PDP, he was mandated to mobilize at least 70
members-elect from the APC. But Dogara is stranded as he could only secure the
backing of 55 members-elect from the APC.
“As
it is now, the moves to frustrate Gbajabiamila’s aspiration have failed. This
is why they have resorted to blackmail and wild-chase in the court.
“Some
pro-Dogara members-elect were also last night whipping up religious sentiments
to set the core North against the party’s candidate.”
Ojomu
warned the PDP against supporting any of its defectors from either being the
Senate President or the Speaker.
He
said those who defected from PDP to APC could not turn back to the party they
decimated for succour.
Ojomu,
in a statement, warned the PDP against playing politics of “payback time”
against the APC.
The
statement said: “It is worrisome to observe that many of those who walked out
were former PDP members who joined the APC and are acting out exactly the same
script of ‘give a dog a bad name to hang it’ adopted as strategy to exit from
the PDP for their safe landing in the APC.
“Today,
by their actions and inactions alongside, other several factors left PDP
comatose and one wonders if everybody acted like them who will be PDP senators
and House of Representatives members to be now courted to defend their interest
for victory at all cost against their ruling party’s official position.
“They
decimated the PDP and now want to rely on it as strength to climb to number
three and four in our nation. That’s crass opportunism and the PDP leaders in
the Red and Green Chambers should not provide themselves as ready tools for
self-serving pursuits.
“Strengthening
party supremacy, party discipline, national stability and cohesion in
government are the gains of PDP in National Assembly, standing firm that any
political party official position or policy shall stand.
“Nigeria
needs men of stable character. After all, those who stand for nothing fall for
anything. The men and women that constitute the Nigeria’s Legislature must
stand for something and in these circumstances it is principled position on
party supremacy, notwithstanding that the former A.C.N botched that principle
in the choice of speakership in 2011.“
Ojomu
said the APC had the right to put forward those who should be on its platform
in the National Assembly leadership.
The
statement said: “Let it be noted that if the party was ever right to sponsor
senatorial/House of Representatives candidate for election, it must also be
right to determine who to put forward on its platform.
“No
responsible political party in a democratic process that outlaws individual,
independent candidate for elective offices will abdicate its historical and
natural responsibility to present a sole candidate for each of the NASS Principal
Offices.
“It
will be unconventional for APC to watch helplessly for its members to contest
in a free for all manner in the Red and Green Chambers.
“The gladiators need to
drop sophistry in their argument and be educated that there is nothing undemocratic
in the ruling party adopted open balloting process as opposed to secret
balloting that was preferred by contending parties. Option A4 adopted in the
Third Republic with SDP and NRC was adjudged one of the best democratic
processes this country has ever witnessed. You queue behind your preferred
candidate or party.”
PREMIUM
TIMES reports that former governor of Kwara state, and senator representing
Kwara Central Senatorial District in Nigeria’s upper legislative chamber,
Bukola Saraki, has issued a statement debunking reports that he snubbed a truce
meeting called by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
Mr.
Saraki is a leading contender for the presidency of the Nigerian Senate, but he
is not the official candidate of his party, the All Progressives Congress,
which is rooting for his main challenger, Ahmed Lawan.
A
report had indicated that Mr. Saraki boycotted a meeting called by Mr. Osinbajo
to explore the possibilities of the APC having a consensus candidate
ahead of the election of principal officers of the Senate and the House
of Representatives Tuesday.
But
the former governor has now issued a statement, saying he received no
invitation to any meeting called by the vice president.
He
also denied making disparaging comments about the vice president.
Read
full statement below.
SENATOR
SARAKI HAS GREAT RESPECT FOR THE PERSON AND OFFICE OF HIS EXCELLENCY, PROF
OSINBAJO VICE PRESIDENT OF FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA
The
attention of Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki’s media office has been drawn to a
publication by an online tabloid which insinuated that “Senator Saraki Boycotts
APC Leadership Meeting To be Chaired by VP Osinbajo”
We
wish to categorically state that up to this very point 10:50pm, 8th of June
2015, senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki is yet to receive any official invitation
from His Excellency Professor Yemi Osinbajo, Vice President, Federal Republic
of Nigeria or through any other source for any meeting; political, social or
otherwise.
Understanding
the importance of last-minute consultation required for the inauguration of the
8th Assembly, Senator Saraki has been attending to meetings with colleagues and
friends on the program for the 8th assembly.
Senator
Saraki having been in public service in different capacity knows the importance
of respecting the office and person of the Vice President. And therefore advise
those spreading false news to cease and desist.
Senator
Saraki therefore, uses this opportunity to assure His Excellency, Professor
Yemi Osinbajo, Vice President of Federal Republic of Nigeria of his highest
regards.
Signed:
Bamikole
Omishore
SA
Media & Advocacy
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