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Saraki reveals why Tinubu supports Buhari, thrashes his claims

By Timileyin Omilana
20 August 2018   |   5:36 pm
Nigeria Senate President Bukola Saraki has said the claims of National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu about his exit from the ruling party are "wrong, false and mischievous impression". Saraki said in a statement on Monday while reacting to Tinubu's statement on his defection from the ruling party to the People's…

Nigeria Senate President Bukola Saraki has said the claims of National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu about his exit from the ruling party are “wrong, false and mischievous impression”.

Saraki said in a statement on Monday while reacting to Tinubu’s statement on his defection from the ruling party to the People’s Democratic Party.

Tinubu on Sunday said Saraki defected because of his selfish interests and Saraki “has been more focused on changing the rules of the Senate to favour himself and changing the order of elections so as to coincide with his selfish designs.”

However, Saraki, who dumped APC for PDP July 31, 2018, said he defected because the decision “has been inescapably imposed on me by certain elements and forces within the APC who have ensured that the minimum conditions for peace, cooperation, inclusion and a general sense of belonging did not exist”.

The Senate President also stated the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration “consistently treats the legislature with contempt and acts as if the lawmaking body should be an appendage of the Executive. To me, this is unacceptable.”

Furthermore, Saraki said when Tinubu was appointed the head of the APC’s reconciliation committee, the APC leader reached out to him and admitted that he was also not satisfied with Buhari’s ‘administrative style and attitude’, but that he would remain in the party.

“However, during those meetings, the point of disagreement between me and him was that, while I expressed worries that there was nothing on ground to assure me that the administrative style and attitude would change in the next four years in a manner that will enable us deliver the positive changes we promised to our people, he (Tinubu) expressed a strong opinion that he would rather ‘support a Buhari on the hospital stretcher’ to get a second term because in 2023, power will shift to the South-west.

“This Tinubu’s viewpoint was not only expressed to me but to several of my colleagues. So much for acting in national interest.”

He also said the “uncertain and complex relationship” he shares with Tinubu was because he (Saraki) and other leaders of the APC “opposed the Muslim-Muslim ticket arrangement about to be foisted on the APC for the 2015 polls.”

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