The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said this in an interview with SUNDAY PUNCH.
Saraki who emerged the President of the
Senate against the position of the leadership of the ruling All
Progressives Congress that supported Senator Ahmed Lawan’s candidature
is also undergoing trial before the Code of Conduct Tribunal over
alleged false declaration of assets while he was governor of Kwara
State.
Only last week, Saraki and his deputy,
Ike Ekweremadu, were taken to the court for alleged forgery of the
Senate Standing Rules 2015 that was used to inaugurate the Eighth
Senate.
Adesina said the Presidency was not responsible for Saraki’s travails.
One of our correspondents had sought to
know from the presidential spokesman if Saraki would be spared his legal
troubles if he stepped down as President of the Senate.
But Adesina said the issue did not arise since the Presidency did not initiate his legal battle.
“Senator Saraki’s legal battle was not originated by the Presidency in the first place, so this issue does not arise,” he said.
Notwithstanding the Presidency’s
position, two presidential aides are part of the 14 witnesses listed by
the Federal Government against Saraki and Ekweremadu by the time the
trial gets underway on Monday.
Others for trial on Monday are the
immediate past Clerk to the National Assembly, Salisu Abubakar
Maikasuwa, and the Deputy Clerk to the National Assembly, Benedict
Efeture.
The two presidential aides listed as
witnesses by the Federal Government are the Senior Special Assistant to
the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang;
and the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Senator
Babafemi Ojudu.
Enang and Ojudu were both members of the Seventh Senate before their current appointments.
We are ready for battle — PDP Senators
In the Senate, members of the opposition
Peoples Democratic Party have ruled out the possibility of fielding any
candidate as a replacement for Ekweremadu, in case the court finds him
guilty of the forgery case preferred against him and Saraki.
According to a ranking senator from the
South-East geopolitical zone the emergence of Ekweremadu as deputy
senate president in the first instance made the opposition senators to
play along with the administration of Buhari.
He said, “The emergency of Senators
Saraki and Ekweremadu, led to the unity we had experienced in the senate
and we have, to the best of our knowledge, tried our best to ensure
that we support the government in the interest of the nation.
“This Buhari’s government had, times
without number, committed great impeachable offences that we overlooked
simply because we wanted the nation to move forward. But now that it is
obvious that they prefer war. We are also ready for battle.”
Another PDP senator, who is a new comer
from the South-South geopolitical zone, told our correspondent that they
were already compiling impeachable offences against Buhari, since he
was also bent on creating crisis and causing confusion in the federal
parliament.
He said, “What the executive is doing by
its actions is to cause confusion and create tension in the country and
we are ready for them. It is now glaring that the APC does not mean
well for this country.
“For instance, is this type of
self-inflicted, self-imposed crisis on the country by Buhari, necessary
at this time when the country is facing the worst social, economic and
political challenges in its history?
“All hands are expected to be on the
deck to halt the free fall of the value of naira against major
international currencies, tackle the issue of mono import dependent
economy, solve the power problem and resolve the crisis in the Niger
Delta.
Attempts to get the spokesperson for the
senate, to speak on the issue failed as calls put across to his mobile
line dropped while text messages sent to him did not connect.
We are ready to meet Buhari — House
On its part, the House of
Representatives said its leadership was awaiting invitation from the
Presidency for any meeting that would improve the relationship between
the National Assembly and the executive.
It also noted while it had not declared any war against President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Chairman, House Committee on Media
and Public Affairs, Mr. Abdulrazak Namdas, who said this added that
lawmakers were in solidarity with the senate because they saw the
prosecution of Saraki and Ekweremadu as an attempt to humiliate the
National Assembly.
Namdas said, “As a House, we are ready
any day to meet with Mr. President. For now, no invitation has come to
us to come for either a meeting or dinner; none.
“But, if it comes, we will go to see the
President. Any effort that will further enhance our present
relationship with the executive, we will support it.
“We are not on the warpath with the
President, but this relationship can be better. I want to state here
that the issues at stake have to do more with the Senate than the House
of Representatives.”
APC won’t interfere – Oyegun
The National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun has said the party does not interfere in judicial matters.
He said as a party sworn to uphold the
rule of law, it would always strive to live above board and not give
room for any person or group of persons to doubt its sincerity in this
direction.
Odigie -Oyegun said, “I really don’t
have anything to tell say on this matter but like I said several times
before, as a party, we don’t interfere with judicial matters.”
It’s too late for a political solution — APC source
But another highly placed member of the APC said only the courts would have a final say on the trial of Saraki and Ekweremadu.
The source who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak with the press told SUNDAY PUNCH, in Abuja, on Saturday that it was too late to find a political solution to the problem.
The source said, “I am afraid the time for a political solution has passed, the matter has gone to court.
“This issue is no longer within the
purview of the party. If you remember, before this whole thing started,
the party tried to ensure that things went on smoothly. If things were
done properly, there would have been no need for anyone to forge any
document as alleged.
“The issue of this alleged forgery was
not there then. But now, the case of forgery, which is a criminal
offence, is there, so, you can’t be talking of a political solution at
this stage. You can’t even suggest that kind of thing to the President.
“If you remember, under President
(Olusegun) Obasanjo, a Senate President resigned based on an allegation
of corruption, did it stop his prosecution?”
I won’t react – Saraki’s aide
When contacted, the Special Adviser to
the senate President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu, said
he would not react to the matter.
He said, “I don’t have any reaction to that.”
Meanwhile, the Special Assistant to the
President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang has said the
Presidency has chosen to work more and speak less as it seeks the
cooperation of senators.
Enang said, “We are reaching out. We
have decided to speak less and work more and speaking about it in the
media will not helpful at this point.”
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