The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has been challenged to declare where he belongs in the current realignments going on in the All Progressives Congress (APC). The challenge was contained in a statement released on Sunday by the APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Yekini Nabena.
Nabena accused Saraki of playing the role of a double agent in APC, saying he is free to associate with whomsoever he chooses but he must do so according to the rules of the game, and not try to destroy the party. The statement said the senate president had betrayed the trust of the party by sponsoring rebellion within it. It said Saraki had learnt nothing from his original betrayal of APC in 2015, when he emerged senate president against the wishes of the party and through manipulative processes that denied the party its right to produce the deputy senate president.
The full statement reads, “In recent times, there have been attempts to discredit the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the federal government it controls by a roguish alliance of forces within and outside the party. The President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has loomed large in this scheme. Saraki has never hidden his sympathy for those who have launched a vicious attack on the APC, a party that gave both him and the nascent mudslingers the platform on which they ply their political careers.
“The APC is not averse to dissenting positions. But we reject deceit in every shade or form.
“Saraki must declare now where he belongs, whether he is for APC or other political interests. He cannot serve God and mammon. He cannot play hide-and-seek. He cannot hide behind his fingers.
“We are aware that a number of Saraki’s aides and close allies have left APC for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). For example, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje has returned to his former home in PDP; Saraki’s Chief of Staff, Dr. Hakeem Baba Ahmed has withdrawn his membership from APC.
“We are also not unaware of the fact that Saraki is the brawn and the brains of the so-called Reformed All Progressives Congress (rAPC).
“The senate president’s current activities are a betrayal of his position at the last national convention of APC, where he urged the new leadership of the party to carry everyone along in the effort to improve the party and enhance its chances ahead of the impending political contests in the country. When he made those comments, we had thought he was sincere and that he would follow through his counsel.
“But, alas, we were wrong.
“It is clear that Saraki has not learnt any lessons from his initial betrayal of APC in 2015, when he traded off the party’s right to produce the deputy senate president for his selfish ambition of becoming the senate president.
“APC is a democratic institution and Saraki is free to make choices in accordance with the laws of the country. But he cannot continue to take members of APC for a ride.
“Politics is based on trust. Saraki has betrayed the trust reposed on him by the party. If he wants to leave APC, let him leave peacefully, and not try to destroy a house that gave him accommodation when he needed it most.
“His current attitude can only be the action of a traitor or a double agent.”
