Facts have emerged on why Senate President Bukola Saraki led a delegation of Senators to meet former President Olusegun Obasanjo at his hilltop mansion, Abeokuta, Ogun State, yesterday. Quoting a source that was part of the meeting, the Senate President, who was said to be in Abeokuta to beg Obasanjo to reconcile him with President Muhammadu Buhari and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), also lamented that although the party leaders had accepted his emergence, there was “complete communication breakdown between him, the president and the party”. In his response, Obasanjo, who did not make any comment as Saraki’s entourage departed at 11.20 am. reportedly promised to do his best to “ensure communication among all parties”.
The source also quoted the former President as joking with the delegation, saying: “you children of nowadays only run to elders when you have finished making the damage”. According to the source, Obasanjo was said to have called President Buhari immediately he was informed of the visit, with the President simply retorting: “You have to see them now, are they not your boys?” It would be recalled that the emergence of Saraki and Hon. Yakubu Dogara as Senate President and Speaker respectively did not go down well with the leadership of the party, who branded them as undisciplined party men.
The relationship between Saraki and the leadership has remained frosty since then, with the national chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, abruptly cancelling a scheduled meeting with Saraki last week without giving another appointment. But Saraki, who arrived Obasanjo’s hilltop residence in Abeokuta at 9.10am, was accompanied by some senators, including Andy Uba (Anambra South), Danjuma Goje (APC, Gombe Central), Ahmed Yerima (APC, Zamfara West) and Tayo Alasoadura (APC, Ondo Central). Others on the entourage of the Senate President were former Acting National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Kawu Baraje, and former Osun State Governor and ex- National Secretary of PDP, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola.Obasanjo’s associates, including Chief Oyewole Fasawe, Chief Bode Mustapha and Dr. Femi Majekodunmi, were also at the expresident’s home. Saraki, who briefed reporters after posing for photographs with Obasanjo, said he came to consult with the former president and tap from his wisdom. “We are here to pay our homage to him, to seek his advice, to get his blessing and also to consult.
We all know President Obasanjo’s value to this country and we are here to tap from his wisdom, knowledge and experience,” he stated. Saraki also expressed optimism that the crisis rocking the APC over the National Assembly leadership positions would soon be resolved. “As you can see, things are moving smoothly. Definitely, rest assured that all that would be put behind us very shortly. We are very confident about that,” he said. Speaking on the clamour for downward review of the salaries and allowances of National Assembly members, the Senate President assured Nigerians that he would support any “sacrifice” for the interest of the country.Saraki said: “I think already that (process of wage review) is in progress. If you remember last time, it was about N150 billion and it’s coming down to N120 billion.
I think the situation in the country deserves that every public servant must make sacrifices and whatever sacrifice that is necessary, we will make it. And that is being done. So, rest assured that we are sensitive, we are aware of the situation in the country and if we are going to lead, we must lead by example.” Meanwhile, Odigie-Oyegun, yesterday stated that the crisis rocking the party would soon come to an end. The chairman also defended the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, over the statement he issued in his state (Kwara) after the emergence of the National Assembly leadership.
According to him, Mohammed’s statement on the outcome of the election of the National Assembly was the position of the party and not his (Mohammed) and so he should not be vilified. Odigie-Oyegun, who issued a statement in Abuja, after the National Working Committee (NWC) meeting of the party, said: “The party has reached out to all interested parties, and when the National Assembly resumes next week, Nigerians will see one harmonious, happy APC family.
“We owe it to our party, our teeming members and supporters and indeed all Nigerians who reposed so much confidence in us by voting us into office to quickly put the unfortunate incidents of the recent past behind us and forge ahead.” On Mohammed, Odigie- Oyegun said: “Mohammed’s statement was issued with the knowledge and consent of the party hence it would be wrong for anyone to make him a sacrificial lamb for carrying out his party responsibilities.”
No comments:
Post a Comment