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I won’t be stampeded out of office, vows Saraki

By Kabir Alabi Garba (Lagos) and Azimazi Momoh Jimoh (Abuja)
10 April 2016   |   3:30 am
President of the Senate, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, yesterday, alerted Nigerians of plot to stampede him out of office through sponsored mass protests in Abuja and Lagos.

bukola-saraki

Raises Alarm Over ‘Sponsored Protests By Spineless Politicians’

• Senate’s Integrity At Stake, Rights Group Warns
President of the Senate, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, yesterday, alerted Nigerians of plot to stampede him out of office through sponsored mass protests in Abuja and Lagos.

Saraki, however, said he remained committed to carrying out his responsibilities and would not be distracted by protests, which, according to him, are sponsored by people who could not get their stooge elected as Senate President and would want to achieve that feat through the back door.

A statement signed by Saraki’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, ‎in Abuja, yesterday, said the protests are meant to disturb public peace and further blackmail Saraki into succumbing to the wishes of some people to quit the office of Senate President.

Meanwhile, a group, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has said that for the upper arm of the National Assembly to play a constructive role in the ongoing anti-corruption crusade, its leadership must be sanitised.

“A legislative arm, which condones stinking corruption at the leadership level, can never be in tandem with Nigeria’s new elixir for anti-corruption,” MURIC said, warning that the Nigerian public is disenchanted with a legislature that cannot satisfy all righteousness.

MURIC Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, said the admonition is imperative in view of “shocking revelations” emerging from the trial of Saraki, which began at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), last Tuesday.

“Saraki must go. Those who come to equity must come with clean hands. We cannot afford to have an icon of credibility at the Nigerian apex of the executive only to have the exact opposite in the higher chamber. Perhaps, that is why very little progress has been made since May 29, 2015. Saraki is a Trojan horse,” the group said.

Tagged: ‘Plot to Unleash Sponsored Anti-Saraki Protests Uncovered’, the statement by the Senate President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, reads in part: “The Office of the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has uncovered plots by some politicians to sponsor protest marches and demonstrations in which some hired people will be given placards to disturb public peace.

“As part of their plan, they are already distributing money and other materials to some faceless Civil Society Organisations, market men and women associations and other shadowy groups, with a view to instigating demonstrations in Lagos, Abuja and Ilorin starting from Monday, April 11.”

It continued: “They believe that the ongoing trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal provides them the opportunity to stampede Dr. Saraki out of office, so that their defeated objective of getting their lackey into the office of Senate President will be realised. This is another desperate move by these spineless politicians to achieve through the back door what they failed to realise on the floor of the Senate.

“We are alerting members of the public to the antics of these desperate politicians, which may result in breach of public peace, order and health. Dr. Saraki is a peace loving and law abiding politician. The trial at the CCT is just beginning, and while the prosecution’s witness has started giving evidence, he is yet to be cross-examined by the defence team. The defence has also not opened its own case. We urge members of the public to patiently wait for the conclusion of the case.

“Since the fundamental principle of our legal system is that an accused person is presumed innocent until he is found guilty, Dr. Saraki will not allow any distraction to take him away from his responsibility as President of the Senate and Chairman of the National Assembly.”

MURIC expressed displeasure over the fact “that more than 60 Senators accompanied Saraki to the CCT on his first day of appearance. The picture has been largely the same during other appearances. The business of Senate ground to a halt on each occasion with the attendant waste of taxpayers’ money.

“While we salute Senators for this manifestation of camaraderie, several attempts by the embattled Senate President to resist trial suggest that he probably has skeletons in his cupboard.

“The recent revelations during court proceedings where staggering amounts of money were alleged to have been surreptitiously deposited in bank accounts or siphoned outside this country by the Senate President through his agents also call for caution, concern and sober reflection.”

The rights group appealed to the Senators “to save Nigeria from the impending doom. Our Senators must prove to Nigerians that no single person is greater than Nigeria. It is time for pendulum swing. Distinguished Senators, are you going to be loyal to a particular person or to Nigeria?”

The group called “the attention of honourable members of the Nigerian Senate to the serious and damning implication of this ugly development,” adding: “The integrity of Senate is at stake here and something needs to be done and very urgently too.”

30 Comments

  • Author’s gravatar

    Let them continue with this their show of shame. The world is watching and are now explicitly understanding why Nigeria is always the way it is and the names of each of the very people responsible for Nigeria’s stagnant development.

  • Author’s gravatar

    ‘The rights group appealed to the Senators “to save Nigeria from the impending doom.’

    Wishful thinking!

  • Author’s gravatar

    Saraki may not be too stubborn to stay in office, the office is not his inheritance. let him go and face his corruption charges.

  • Author’s gravatar

    The Senate prez should name those behind the scheme to get rid of him.

    • Author’s gravatar

      Nobody is getting rid of anybody. But he cannot preside over the making of national laws until court acquits him of charges. Laws cannot be made under a shadow of the breach of law and its probabilities.. But he can remain an ordinary senator, but to preside for now no, except that this nation degenerated to the lowest lunar crescent and sunk down to the lowest level of depravity. If there ever is any senator with integrity ( and there must be one) let him stand up boldly on this fundamental issue of ethics and integrity

  • Author’s gravatar

    Next Saraki’s appearance, newspapers should enlist the names of his entourage especially the senators, the business of the day they ought to be attending and the states or constituency they represent. This will at least give us, the electorates the opportunity to ask the critical question about our senators’ credibility and loyalty at the appropriate time. They’ve only got 4 years of responsibilities and after that accountability comes, unless we let them know who decides whether they represents us or not, we will continue to allow them to malign our name, constituency and our state. This is our contribution to anti corruption war.

  • Author’s gravatar

    Nay, nobody stampedes this product of endemic corruption but by all the due demands of integrity, of self respect amd dignity he is bound to step aside until the law acquits him of charges. He cannot sit in the docks and at same time preside over the senate. It is utmost disgrace to any nation and not just any depraved senate that allows this to happen
    . Someone at the docks cannot make valid laws at the same time if i may interpolate my own jurisprudence. But commonsense dictates it

  • Author’s gravatar

    Saraki believes he was born to rule, as the Economist depicts ”like it or not you are married to this market” Saraki is married to governance, otherwise, in a sane climates people like him stepped aside once they are linked with any malfeasance, but in this part of the world it is a taboo to do such a thing by a servicing public officer. As usual, he will only succeed if only if the people he is meant to lead and show example, allow him and not speak out, including our justice system. Other countries of the world are developing at a very fast lane simply because they have innovative minds that works tirelessly to build and develop infrastructures for the good of all. For instance, Dubai or UAE aside Europeans countries, but what do we get from these rogues only stealing..stealing nothing else. What a shame! ”If Saraki says ”he wouldn’t be stampeded out of office” then this can only happen in a banana republic or in an animal farm, but I guess our country is neither of these. Saraki over to you!

    • Author’s gravatar

      So, what then is the difference btw Saraki and Tinubu?
      Who is married to what?

      • Author’s gravatar

        What is your problem with Tinubu, should in case you can prove any case against him why not write to EFCC, or any agencies that can handle your facts, stop been sentimental Saraki must go & others like him in government.

        • Author’s gravatar

          Leave Ninjak alone as the name sound so he is! People like him will leave subject matter and seek irrelevance. In essence, his opinion is retarded.

          • Author’s gravatar

            Thanks, people without any atom of decency, soul & conscience always leave the subject matter & fighting a lost course,

        • Author’s gravatar

          As far as Nigerians are concerned, the only known powerful criminal in Nigeria is Tinubu.

          • Author’s gravatar

            Any proof, come out with your facts, did you have any?

        • Author’s gravatar

          ….. so Tinubu must stay & enjoy his own loot, after having done exactly the same offence, charged to same CCT, and simply discharged on some silly (pre-arranged) “error”?
          You are so so crap!

      • Author’s gravatar

        You figure it out!

      • Author’s gravatar

        You talk like a pedestrian fool and public drunk. We are talking about matters of national interest and integrity,and how Saraki has damaged himself and stolen us blind. If you have anything against Tinubu, go make a representation to EFCC. Lawyers abound who would offer you free service. It beats my imagination when people like you just throw names around without reason.

        • Author’s gravatar

          You can make your point without hurling insults at your presumed ”fool”. Controversy is the midwife of truth. And don’t forget, ”All great truths begin as blasphemies” – George Bernard Shaw

        • Author’s gravatar

          And you think you have reasoned well, who says you are not even drunk yourself or dying of allegiance you have with Tinubu? a sane man will tell you have a cross with Saraki, hence to you Tinubu is a saint. people like you are the reason Nigeria is failing, you prefer to block where it concerns you while calling others criminals. Justice has no two face but one, without wish you continue to round the circle without result.

  • Author’s gravatar

    The Truth is very simple.
    These politicians are all one & the same. Someone loses out on the “cake”, he arranges a fightback & vice-vera.
    The gullible, idiotic, useless, moronic, serf-oriented public remain the fools as always!

  • Author’s gravatar

    No Nigerian wants a stained thief as number three citizen. We are not all thieves like Saraki and so he cannot represent us in any capacity. Saraki should honourably resign his senate presidency before we Nigerians stampede the senate floor and literally ask for his head.

  • Author’s gravatar

    The Iceland president has resigned over this leak. President Obama has requested for propef invedtigation of all Americans mentioned in the report due to tax evation principle even if they have not stolen a dime. Nobody mentioned in the report can wash clean. Even the private business men mentioned. From emptying Society Generale Bank, Saraki dived into more lucrative business in government. His apetite for easy money is large. Yet he is boasting he wont be stampeded out of office. Things have really gone bad here. The office of Senate Predident belongs to Nigerians. Not to the Saraki family. Saraki cannot be bigger/greater than Nigeria. The system should remove him quickly. His presence on that seat is an affront to our collective will.

  • Author’s gravatar

    For once, PMB is being vindicated: “Nigerians are criminals.”

  • Author’s gravatar
  • Author’s gravatar

    Why is it not surprising that he “won’t be stampeded out of office”? In saner climes, he would have resigned voluntarily before getting kicked out.

  • Author’s gravatar

    so many big words spoken very little action taken, Saraki will slide through, Nigerians will blab blab blab and life will resume as usual.

    • Author’s gravatar

      Nigerian are always one-sided in their analysis and, or easy conclusion on issues especially that the issue is still in some law court….Saraki should survive this provocative treatment melted to him by the leaders of the party he helped to build, simply because he aspired and got elected to the presidency of the Senate…..if Saraki is expected to go down…Jagaban should be revisited…Cant see why the same individual who discharged and acquitted Tinubu because he was not invited by the Bureau to confirm or deny and give a statement, a condition precedent to prosecution at the Tribunal…now the same Danladi who presided over the case is holding Saraki…and Nigerians cannot see that…..what a shame……?

      • Author’s gravatar

        yet even more big words from you…. but you are very right if we Nigerians didn’t catch the 1st thief we should just let all the other thieves slide through until we go back and catch the 1st thief. you make perfect sense.

  • Author’s gravatar

    This sarakis adviser must be out of his mind How on earth can you now start to appeal to Nigerians to be patient ? With who? and for what? Nigerians are already awake from their deep SLUMBER ! ! ! ! Nobody is instigating anybody against anybody. This is a new dispensation. All the other senators dancing around saraki will soon get their turns too You better be getting ready nowhere to hide anymore. Thanks for NEW TECH ! ! ! ! ! ! Its a small world

  • Author’s gravatar

    well the law presumes saraki to be innocent until he is found guilty by a competent court and we are heading towards that. Just that some of our lawyers are so self fish that they encourage corruption with unnecessary argument even when there is no ambiguity thereby frustrating the fight against corruption. yes lawyers must eat and they want to take part of the loot. This syndrome is not common in developed countries where a counsel will even advice his client to honorably resign in the interest of the nation