Saraki Emergence As Senate President Will Boost The Performance Of Buhari, Says ABSLF President

THE Chairman of ‘Abubakar Bukola Saraki Leadership Forum’ (ABSLF) Alhaji Bibire Ajape yesterday described the emergence of Bukola Saraki as the President of the eighth Senate, a perfect synergy that would boost the performances in office of President Mnuhammadu Buhari.

Ajape in a press briefing in Ilorin, said since Buhari a former military junta excelled in his war against indiscipline with Tunde Idiagbon, an Ilorin man, the presence of Saraki another Ilorin man, would equally bring out success in Buhari’s second coming as Civilian President.

He lambasted some national leadership of the All Progressives Party (APC) for allegedly interpreting the constitution of the National Assembly as a purely party issue rather than national affair.

Besides, he faulted the absence of 51 APC Senators from the election that produced Saraki, noting that such an important period should not have been dedicated for meeting “with any person, irrespective of his societal status”, as claimed by the senators.

According to him, “we salute the courage of the 8th National assembly members for the maturity displayed in electing a leader they believed in, irrespective of party affiliation. The nation’s president is well aware of the loyalty of Ilorin, it was General Tunde Idiagbon before and now, it is the turn of Saraki. The President has every cause to rejoice as the square peg is right in the square hole.

“We also wish to enjoin the 51 law makers from our party who accidentally missed the election to give full support and cooperation to the chosen one so as to make true the promise of our party.

Ajape lauded the Clerk of the house for allegedly performing his duties supervising the election at the senate, adding, “it was indeed inauguration time, not scheming time. Even, President Buhari had sent a proclamation message that was read before the proceeding, why should not those APC leaders have acclaimed meeting overnight like the People’s Democratic. Party (PDP), instead of having it clash with the inauguration time.”

Ajape, who is also the Special Adviser to the state governor Abdulfatah Ahmed  on Political Matters, said the ACN, CPC, and ANPP, which are main political parties that merged to form APC, would not had benefited from the merger, but for the political influence of nPDP led by Saraki.

“The president came from the CPC bloc, the Vice President from the ACN bloc, the national chairman of the party from the ANPP bloc, therefore, the emergence of Senator Bukola Saraki as the senate president is a show of inculcation and recognition of the source where APC draw strengths”, he said.

The group, which commended Mr. President for holding true to his words of non-interference with the politics of the National Assembly, “even in the facade of inordinate pressure to act otherwise”, said that it respected the President for being a man of prodigious principle.

The group also said that the new Senate President did not snub President Mohammadu Buhari or the party leadership as being insinuated in some quarters, adding that the emergence of Senator Saraki was a landmark event which is like the change witnessed on presidential election date of March 28, 2015.

The forum urged party leaders to allow President Buhari to govern as promised and not destroy his hard earned image by dragging the Presidency into matters that he had obviously made known his stance; to work with whoever emerges as the Senate President.

He said that Senator Saraki was one of the leaders of APC who had as much stake as former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“It is cheap thinking to harbour thoughts that a man who worked tirelessly to deliver Kwara to APC, at so much expense dumping the ruling party, for a party in embryo would be rooting for the destruction of such party.

“He gives financial assistance to enable North Central and even beyond to ensure the victory of APC in the entire zone. Saraki is a man with conviction and the symbol of change the whole nation clamoured for and the President himself paid tribute to his effort as the coordinator of PDP to APC that eventually led to the victory we have today,” Ajape said.

According to him, the decision of the APC to conduct a mock election was unconstitutional, while he cautioned the party leaders against utterances capable of destroying the party’s image.