We won’t abandon Saraki, say PDP

The 49 senators elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have no axe to grind with the Senate President, Dr Olusola Saraki, and are not withdrawing their support for him over the chairmanship of the Standing Committees in the Senate. Also, the leadership of the party and the senators have resolved to continue their support for Saraki as long as the rule of law,the rules of the Senate, the defence of democratic norms among others form the focus of Saraki’s leadership of the Senate, our correspondent gathered on Tuesday.

This is against the backdrop of insinuations in some quarters that the issue of how to extend the committee chairmanship seats to PDP senators in large number could pit them against Saraki, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) is kicking against PDP getting a great number of the seats.

The Senate is expected to resume plenary session next week and the composition of the committees may be the major task ahead of the upper chamber of the National Assembly. Commenting on the development, the National Vice Chairman, South- West of the PDP, Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe, told our correspondent that so far nothing has happened to rock the relationship between Saraki of the APC and his PDP colleagues. “What the PDP and our distinguished Senators stand for is the upholding of the rule of law, the rules of the Senate, defending democratic ideals and protecting democracy and allowing it to grow in the country. If Dr Bukola Saraki stands for all these too, then we are operating on the same page. “Remember that the PDP is the founder and the party that nurtured democracy for 16 years in this country.

We will not allow anybody or political party to truncate it or do anything that will harm it. “If will do not stand up for the defence of democratic ideals, then the great sacrifice that our party and former President Goodluck Jonathan made by allowing for smooth transition from one government to the other would be in vain,” he said. Ogundipe advised the APC and those fanning the embers of discord in the National Assembly for personal reasons to come to terms with the political realities in the Assembly.

He expressed confidence that when the Senate resumes, all issues expected to be knotty would be resolved amicably, adding that the PDP’s ideology of giving power to the people would always guide the conduct of its members. Also, the senator representing Ekiti South Senatorial District, Mrs Abiodun Olujimi, said PDP senators were solidly behind Saraki. “It is not true that PDP senators are having problems with Dr Saraki over the constitution of Standing Committees and who head them. We think above petty and parochial levels,” she said. Saraki became the Senate President largely on the support given him by PDP senators and Ike Ekweremadu of the PDP elected his deputy.