– These are hard times for Senate president, Bukola Saraki
– But one thing Nigeria’s number three citizen has going for him is the unshaken loyalty of his supporters and sympathizers
– Many of them use every given opportunity to defend the former Kwara governor
A group named ”I Stand by Saraki” has said the ongoing trial of Senate president, Bukola Saraki cannot be divorced from the internal politics of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, the group urged the president to intervene in the crisis because of the contributions of the Senate president in Buhari’s victory at the 2015 elections.
Should President Buhari intervene in Saraki’s trial?
READ ALSO: CCT trial: Senate comes to Saraki’s rescue, moves against Code of Conduct Act
The group said: ”In advocating this position, we believe there is only one man who can come to the scene both within the APC and outside the shores of Nigeria.
”That single individual whose singular intervention can save the day is yourself, Mr President.”
The group added: ”We believe that the Senate president deserves this intervention based on his contributions to the success of the APC in the last election and his commitment to working with your administration as head of the National Assembly since he assumed office as the federal legislative arm.”
The group further described the Senate president as an asset to the APC and Nigeria, adding that issues around politics, should be settled in a brotherly manner within the party.
In a chat with NAIJ.com, the leader of the group, Bala Usman Bolakale said: ”All we are doing is to plead with the president to intervene on behalf of Senator Saraki.”
When reminded that the president cannot intervene in a matter that is in court, Bolakale said: ”Yes we are aware, but in any case, the matter in court has not been determined as to determine the culpability or otherwise of the defendant.”
Senator Saraki is facing the biggest challenge of his political life. The 53-year old was accused by the Code of Conduct Bureau of failing to declare some assets he acquired while in office as governor of Kwara state.
READ ALSO: 5 punishments Saraki will face if found guilty at the Code of Conduct Tribunal
Other accusations leveled against the Senate president includes acquiring assets beyond his legitimate earnings, and operating foreign accounts as Kwara state governor.
The Senate president has since denied the allegations. He went ahead to say that he declared his assets in 2007, 2011, and recently in 2015, and the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) never wrote to complain of any inconsistencies.
Meanwhile, the Senate Majority Leader, Senator Ibn Na’Allah has described the trial of Saraki at the CCT as a persecution rather than a prosecution.
Like many supporters of the Senate president, Na’allah says the trial was influenced by Saraki’s elevation as Nigeria’s number three citizen.
The post How internal politics in APC brought about Saraki’s trial – Saraki loyalists appeared first on Nigeria News today & Breaking news | Read on NAIJ.COM.
How internal politics in APC brought about Saraki’s trial – Saraki loyalists
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