A group named ”I Stand by Saraki” has said the ongoing
trial of Senate president, Bukola Saraki cannot be divorced
from the internal politics of the All Progressives Congress
(APC).
In an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, the
group urged the president to intervene in the crisis
because of the contributions of the Senate president in
Buhari’s victory at the 2015 elections.
Should President Buhari intervene in Saraki’s trial?
The group said: ”In advocating this position, we believe
there is only one man who can come to the scene both
within the APC and outside the shores of Nigeria.
”That single individual whose singular intervention can
save the day is yourself, Mr President.”
The group added: ”We believe that the Senate president
deserves this intervention based on his contributions to
the success of the APC in the last election and his
commitment to working with your administration as head
of the National Assembly since he assumed office as the
federal legislative arm.”
The group further described the Senate president as an
asset to the APC and Nigeria, adding that issues around
politics, should be settled in a brotherly manner within the
party.
In a chat, the leader of the group, Bala
Usman Bolakale said: ”All we are doing is to plead with
the president to intervene on behalf of Senator Saraki.”
When reminded that the president cannot intervene in a
matter that is in court, Bolakale said: ”Yes we are aware,
but in any case, the matter in court has not been
determined as to determine the culpability or otherwise of
the defendant.”
Senator Saraki is facing the biggest challenge of his
political life. The 53-year old was accused by the Code of
Conduct Bureau of failing to declare some assets he
acquired while in office as governor of Kwara state.
Other accusations leveled against the Senate president
includes acquiring assets beyond his legitimate earnings,
and operating foreign accounts as Kwara state governor.
The Senate president has since denied the allegations. He
went ahead to say that he declared his assets in 2007,
2011, and recently in 2015, and the Code of Conduct
Bureau (CCB) never wrote to complain of any
inconsistencies.
Meanwhile, the Senate Majority Leader, Senator Ibn
Na’Allah has described the trial of Saraki at the CCT as a
persecution rather than a prosecution.