Senate President Bukola Saraki made it clear that he is very loyal to President Muhammadu Buhari and that he would not want his administration to fail.
In an interview with Daily Trust, Senator Saraki emphasized that he is loyal to the President, confirming that there has been a lot of misinformation out there.
“From Day One I took a position, and some very powerful people don’t like the position. When you want to know who is loyal to you, it is during your trying moments. Go back two months ago.
“Who was it who stood up resolutely and said Mr. President will be back and there is no cause for alarm? I don’t think a man who is not loyal to you will do that. We know some people who went to London and saw President Buhari, but they just left. They did not say anything.
“My message to all our party’s supporters is that I am committed, that whatever we promised Nigerians, we will deliver.
“For some of us, this government cannot be allowed to fail. We left one party with our supporters and embarked on this journey. We must be able to go back to them and tell them that that journey was worth it. If God forbid this government fails, what will I go back and tell them? It is in my personal political interest to see that this government succeeds.”
This was even as Senator Saraki accused former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume of trying to to “embarrass” him, by accusing him of him of importing bullet-proff SUV jeep worth N37 million.
Saraki narrated: “the issue of the car, when it came up, the management issued a statement. When government appointees buy an official car, it is not their car. Government provides a car to you by virtue of your job.
“The National Assembly Management said no car was imported in Senator Saraki’s name, and Senator Ndume knew that. Even if you think that your colleague is not qualified, did he call him and say ‘Colleague is it true that you don’t have a genuine certificate?’ There are many ways of addressing these issues.
“Coming to the [Senate] floor escalated the whole issue. What the committee was saying was did you check this thing very well before you came to the floor and said your privilege was… So it is not that he gave me an opportunity to prove it because the management had already said that no car was brought in under my name, and Ndume knew it. He brought the issue to embarrass both myself and the institution. I am not an importer. I don’t agree with you that he gave us a chance to clear ourselves because we had already been cleared.”
The Senate had in March, suspended Senator Ndume for six months for raising false allegations against Saraki and Senator Dino Melaye through order 14 and 15 at plenary.
The suspension followed the report of Senator Samuel Anyanwu-led committee on Public Petitions, Ethics and Privileges which recommended for his suspension for one legislative year.
Ndume had called for the probe of his colleagues, after a publication in national dailies reported that “the Senate President, Bukola Saraki bought SUV bullet proof Jeep worth N370 million without paying it’s Custom duties.”
The motion he raised also called for the investigation of Senator Dino Melaye representing Kogi East Senatorial district, who he alleged did not graduate from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria as claimed by an online newspaper. [myad]
