APC senators divided over Saraki’s resignation

Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Senate rose from a marathon meeting yesterday sharply divided over the call for the resignation of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, due to his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

This comes as 21 senators made up of 11 PDP and 10 APC members, accompanied the Senate President to the CCT on Wednesday, hence reducing the figure by two compared to the Tuesday proceedings where 23 senators attended.

It was gathered that while a section of the senators who attended the meeting held at the Asokoro residence of Senator Magartarkada Wammako, were insisting that a resolution for Saraki’s resignation be passed across to him, his loyalists opposed such moves.

An individual who is privy to the matter told our correspondent on conditions of anonymity that they were of the view that Saraki should save the image of the Senate by resigning based on the embarrassing revelations from the CCT.

He said: “The image of the Senate is definitely being dragged in the mud with his presiding officer put in the dock while revelations of how he allegedly mismanaged the funds of his state were being exposed in public glare.

“That is why we asked him to step aside so that he would be able to face his trial and if he is vindicated he could return to his seat. We believe that is better compared to a situation where he would be sitting in the dock as the Senate President”.

But his loyalists after the meeting, declared that they would protect the seat of the Senate President currently occupied by Saraki with the last blood in their veins.

They maintained that they would continue to stand firmly behind Saraki and ensure that his senate presidency seat was protected.

The Senator representing Kwara South Senatorial District, Rafiu Ibrahim, told journalists after the meeting that the senators reiterated their earlier stance that Saraki’s trial was a ‘mere persecution’ and an attempt to tarnish his image.

Ibrahim said, “We have since discovered that the trial of the senate president is a mere attempt to blackmail him and make him look bad in the court of public opinion.

“A dispassionate analysis of the proceeding of the CCT yesterday (Tuesday) has pointed to the fact that the APC led Executive is still embittered against Saraki over the manner of his election as the senate president.

“This is why we are standing for the Senate President and we will so do till the very end. We are doing this not for him but for the institution of the Senate that he eminently represents. We will never allow any arm of government to rubbish the cherished autonomy of the Senate.

”The calls in some quarters that the Senate President should resign from his position are borne out of ignorance and pure hatred. The senators described the calls as ‘wicked and unfounded.’

“For those calling for the impeachment of the Senate President, we urge them to avail themselves of the provisions of the law relating to such a sensitive step”.