Pro-Lawan senators fault Saraki over Ekweremadu’s emergence

Some leaders and members of the All Progressives Congress on Sunday faulted claims by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, that the APC should take the blame for the impasse that led to the emergence of a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ike Ekweremadu, as the Deputy Senate President.

Saraki had in an interview with journalists in Abuja on Saturday blamed what he referred to as “the unfortunate” event on party members who failed to turn up on time on the day of the inauguration.


He had said, “Never in our wildest imagination did we envisage that some senators would not be present on the day of the inauguration. In my view, and in the view of some of those who worked closely with me, I worked hard for my election.

“I had direct contact with every single senator; one on one. Weeks to the election, I did not rely on anybody. I worked hard, both in our party, the APC, and out of it.”

But senators under the aegis of The Senate Unity Forum on Sunday described Saraki’s claim as untrue.

The spokesperson for the group, Senator Kabiru Marafa (Zamfara Central), told one of our correspondents in an interview in Abuja that the Senate President ought to have investigated the alleged suspicious haste with which the Clerk of the National Assembly conducted the election.

Marafa said it was untrue that members of the Senate Unity Forum absconded from the chamber to attend a party meeting to which the then senator-elect Bukola Saraki was not invited.

The SUF said, “With due respect to them, members of the Like Minds Senators did not have respect for the elders of our party. That is a great sense of irresponsibility. For instance, they were invited to the party primaries, they refused to go.

“They were also invited to a meeting with Mr. President; they equally, refused to attend. They later came out to say that Mr. President did not convene any meeting but the beauty of this is that all dramatist personae are still alive.

“The President (Muhammadu Buhari) who summoned the meeting is still alive. The Vice President is still alive, ditto for the party chairman and members of his executive, so they could be asked whether or not they sent out an invitation to all APC senators-elect on June 9.

“If these people said they did not invite all APC senators-elect, then we are guilty as charged by the Senate President but if they answer in the affirmative, then, there is an element of mischief and insincerity on the part of our accusers.”

Marafa lamented that Nigerians had yet to ask the Clerk to the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa, why he hurriedly conducted the election when he was aware that almost half of the senators were absent as of the time he carried out the exercise.

He said, “Why was the clerk in a hurry to conduct the election when 51 senators out of 109 were not in attendance. Why did he not show any concern to know why they were not there? Did he make any effort to find out what kept us away?

“I will advise the Senate President and members of his group to stop talking on the issue because the more they talk, the more they contradict themselves.”

Marafa however said he agreed with Saraki’s claims that he did not receive invitation to the meeting with Mr. President because his phones were with someone else. But he insisted that members of Saraki’s Like Minds Group could not claim ignorance because they got text messages to that effect.

He said, “I agree with Senate President, Bukola Saraki, that he was not aware of the meeting because he was not with his phones as claimed in his interview but, all his supporters received the invitation sent directly to their phones.”

A close political associate of President Buhari, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, said if Saraki had contested the presidential primaries, he would have been thoroughly trashed “because it was an obvious fact that General Buhari was and still is the man to beat.”

“This controversy is totally unnecessary and unhealthy for party cohesion. I think Dr. Bukola Saraki should apply himself to ensuring reconciliation with the party. He should be committed to reconciling himself and members of his group to the mainstream of the party.”

He said it was wrong for Saraki to speak on the issue the way he did on Saturday because the party had somewhat accepted his emergence before he took further steps which appeared to have worsened the situation.

A member of the party’s caucus from the North-West, who pleaded anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said, “It is our considered opinion that this issue is getting too much media mention which is unhealthy for our party and governance. Mistakes have been made.

“The Senate President is being uncharitable to the party and is insulting our collective sensibilities by absolving himself and members of his group from the embarrassing situation we have found ourselves as a party today. He should simply shut up, beg for forgiveness and assist us clean the mess that he and his co-travellers have created for us.”