APC issues Saraki 48 hours ultimatum to reply query

The ruling All Progressives Congress has given Senate president Bukola Saraki forty-eight hours to respond to the query of breaching article 21 of the party’s constitution.

Saraki on Tuesday announced he has left APC to join the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), saying his new party has learnt more from defeat than APC learned from victory.

In reaction to his defection, the National Working Committee of the APC has asked Saraki to respond with why disciplinary action should not to be taken against him for breaching article 21 of the constitution of the party.

The party in a resolution signed by its National Secretary, Mai Malla Buni said the Senate president had flouted the laws of the party with his activities.

APC alleged that the senate president “encouraged and facilitated by providing an enabling environment for the defection of some senators who are members of the APC to the other opposition parties.”

The statement stated: “That you have deliberately refused to screen nominees for appointments submitted by Mr President who are members of the party from being confirmed by the senate. This has caused untold embarrassment and ridicule to the party and the government.

“That as a follow up to the above, the Kwara State Governor, who is known to be your staunch supporter, had made public pronouncements suggesting that he will decamp from the party as an indicator to your formal defection. That you have organized a public rally in your state where members of the party urged you to decamp to PDP.

“That you used the office of the Senate President to cause avoidable delays in the budgetary process and passage of the appropriation act into law thereby frustrating the implementation of the party’s manifesto and programs and frustrating the APC led Federal Government in the actualization of the campaign promises of the party.”

The APC also accused Saraki of frustrating the party’s efforts to reconcile aggrieved members and encouraged the formation of an association which sought to impersonate and pass off the name of the party.

“Converting the guest house of the Senate President to meeting points and presiding over anti-party activities in the guest house; thereby, encouraging defection of senators from the party, presiding over such meetings and compiling a list of the said defectors including some without their consent,”

“Procuring joint letter of decamped members from the APC and reading same on the floor of the senate including some who did not accede to defecting thereby causing embarrassment to the party.” APC said.