Senate President: Obasanjo, Tinubu, El-rufai Lead Cabal Behind Saraki’s Trials 29 September 2015
With the ongoing trial of Senate President Bukola Saraki by the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, over 13 count-charge bordering on alleged false assets declaration, 50 Senators held an emergency meeting to unmask the cabal working behind the scenes to nail Saraki.
The Senators of the 8th Assembly while throwing their weight behind Saraki in the face of his ordeal, had revealed that the cabal surrounding the President is responsible for Saraki’s dilemma and they will use all within their powers to bring down the Cabal.
“We have resolved to use all available powers under the constitution to ensure that no cabal exists and run the government on behalf of Buhari, and we have also resolved to deal decisively with the cabal,” Deputy Senate Leader Na’Allah said at the time.
Post Nigeria’s investigations revealed that the cabal vowed to instigate various crises in the 8th Senate to Sabotage the Senate leadership. It is most worthy of note that the defacto leader of the Party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu had sworn not to recognize Saraki as the Senate President.
Barely a month after Saraki’s emergence the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, invited his wife Toyin Saraki, on July 23, for questioning for undisclosed reasons, but reports claim she is being probed in relation to several contracts executed by companies said to be linked to her while her husband held sway as Kwara Governor.
In reaction, senator Dino Melaye representing Kogi West described the incident as a sheer witch-hunt.
“We hope this is not part of the plot we have heard about, aimed at wrestling the Senate President down with different tactics,” Melaye said.
The rhetoric question in the minds of Nigerians is who are pulling the strings from behind?
President Muhammadu Buhari
Since Saraki’s emergence, for ridiculous reasons the President has avoided contact with the Senate President. Various efforts made by Saraki to meet with him have proved abortive, with both men never spotted in public together since July 4, during the Ramadan period.
On June 26 Buhari decided to stop participating in Juma’a prayers at the National Mosque, Abuja with Presidential spokesman Femi Adesina claiming this was down to the President wanting to curb traffic at the mosque amidst crowd control concerns, however, a source close to the Presidency insisted that “avoiding Saraki is the main reason, the crowd talk was the cover up”.
“President Buhari did so out of consideration for avoidable hardships imposed on members of the public by road closures and other security measures which Presidential movements to the National Mosque necessitate” his spokesman had said while announcing the decision.
Saraki’s late father, Olusola Saraki, prosecuted Buhari in 1978 and indicted him on corruption charges when he was the Minister of Petroleum under Obasanjo’s military administration.
The son has also brought in an “unholy” alliance with the defeated Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to Buhari’s government, a move that has incredibly irked the retired General to the point where relations cannot be savaged, and one has to leave office.
The President has since denied any involvement with the ongoing trial.
“This therefore is purely a judicial process and has nothing to do with the Presidency.”
However, when the leadership crisis started in the APC, Buhari, well known for his “body language” distanced himself from the happenings, while openly denouncing Saraki with some moves him and his office made in the media.
Olusegun Obasanjo
Nigeria’s former President from May 1999-2007 had Nasir el-Rufai serve as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, under him, and is believed to have the Kaduna Governor’s undisputed loyalty.
He has remained actively controversial on the political scene as a godfather “who means well for Nigeria,” and he played an active role in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, before resigning from the party. He has strongly supported the APC policies while claiming to be “partyless.”
Our source revealed that Obasanjo invoked the CCT document of false declaration in his possession, against Saraki and may have presented the document to Buhari during his last visit to the Villa, to be used as weapon to weaken the senate President.
the ex-leader has recently found himself to be more useful to the President, after Buhari on August 21, named him as his Special Envoy to mediate and help find a solution to the crisis brewing in Guinea Bissau.
Bola Tinubu
The former Lagos State Governor and the Leader of the APC is bent on working against the Team B PDP members of the APC, evidenced from his reactions to the emergence of the leadership of the 8th Senate that went against his wishes and he consequently vowed not to recognize Saraki as Senate President.
According to our source, Tinubu has sworn to bring down the political careers of the “Team B PDP, members in the APC” for daring to defying his choice of leadership for the senate.
Nasir El-Rufai
It was widely believed that the former President was considering blessing el-Rufai as his successor. Since the end of the Obasanjo administration, el-Rufai has been on call, defending Obasanjo’s policies while in office, and was very instrumental to the removal of the Jonathan-led PDP government.
The Prosecutor in the Saraki case Rotimi Jacobs, after Saraki had pleaded not guilty to all the allegations read out, revealed that one of the houses in question was sold to the Senate President by El-Rufai, suggesting that the governor is the brain behind this latest onslaught on the senate president, as he was minister at the time the prosecutor claims the said assets were acquired.
el-Rufai’s grouse may not be unconnected to the fact that the Saraki leadership of the senate, has made a known enemy of his, Sen. Shehu Sani from the same state, stronger and a thorn in his flesh.
Also, it is believed that the governor has his eyes on the Presidency, in 2019. Saraki staying on as senate president till that time, will see him become more relevant and influential at national level, and diminishing any chance el-Rufai will have at the seat.
Rotimi Amaechi
The former Rivers State Governor, before he decamped was privy to certain dealings in the PDP, and was a close confidant of Senate President Bukola Saraki.
Our source claims that the embattled ex-governor had been running from pillar to post, seeking help against his successor and antagonist Nyesom Wike.
It is believed that Amaechi approached the national leader of the APC, asking for help to bring Wike down, and the experienced Tinubu, asked him to divulge whatever he had that could bring Saraki down, in exchange for protection from Wike, and an outright vilification and submersion of the PDP government in the State.
Amaechi is believed to have since agreed to the plan, and looks set to play his role
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