Members of the All Progressives Congress in the Senate rose from a marathon meeting on Wednesday, and got sharply divided over the call for the resignation of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, based on his ongoing trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
Our correspondent learnt that while a section of the senators who attended a meeting held at the Asokoro residence of Senator Magartarkada Wammako, were insisting that a resolution for Saraki’s resignation be passed across to him, others said to be his loyalists opposed the action.
A member of the SUF told our correspondent on condition 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 as its presiding officer is 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. No more, no less.
“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 the 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. We describe the call as ‘wicked and unfounded.’
Ibrahim stated, “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.
“As far as we are concerned, there is nothing like that on the table, and if anybody is trying to import that from the outside of the Senate, God helps them. All I know is that they will have to produce as many as 100 senators to achieve that aim.
“As long as they don’t have the majority, the call is a tall dream that will remain a figment of the imagination of the groups and their sponsors.”
