APC Plots Saraki’s Ouster as Senate President

Segun Atanda/

The National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was setting the stage for the eventual sack of Dr Bukola Saraki as Senate President when it sent him a query on alleged anti-party activities on Tuesday, it has been revealed.

Sources close to the party’s hierarchy told NewsmakersNG that the query fast-tracked the Senate President’s announcement of the decision to re-join the Peoples Democratic Party, which he left four years ago.

Earlier, on Monday, the NWC of the APC had stripped Saraki of control over the party’s structure in his home state of Kwara.

The NWC dissolved the executives of the party from ward to the state level and swiftly appointed a caretaker chairman belonging to the rival APC group being led by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

In the query sent to him barely 12 hours later, the APC asked Saraki to respond within 48 hours why disciplinary action ought not to be taken against him for breaching article 21 of the constitution of the party.

The party, in a resolution signed by its National Secretary, Mai Maila Buni, said the Senate president had allegedly flouted the laws of the party with his activities.

Some of the allegations raised against him include that “you encouraged and facilitated by providing an enabling environment for the defection of some senators who are members of the APC to the other opposition parties.

“That you have deliberately refused to screen nominees for appointments submitted by Mr President who are members of the party from being confirmed by the senate. This has caused untold embarrassment and ridicule to the party and the government.

“That you have organised a public rally in your state where members of the party urged you to decamp to PDP. That as a follow up to the above the Kwara state governor who is known to be your staunch supporter Had made public pronouncements suggesting that he will decamp from the party as an indicator to your formal defection.

“That you used the office of the Senate President to cause avoidable delays in the budgetary process and passage of the appropriation act into law thereby frustrating the implementation of the party’s manifesto and programs and frustrating the APC led Federal Government in the actualisation of the campaign promises of the party.

“Converting the guest house of the Senate President to meeting points and presiding over anti-APC activities in the guest house and encouraging defection of senators from the party and presiding over such meetings and compiling a list of the said defectors including some without out their consent.

“Procuring joint letter of decampees from the APC and reading same on the floor of the Senate including some who did not accede to defecting thereby causing embarrassment to the party.

“In spite of the efforts to address grievances to reconcile aggrieved members, you worked against the process and encouraged the formation of an association which sought to impersonate and pass off the name of the party”.

The resolution demanded that the Senate president respond to the allegations or face sanctions.

Sources say this might be the first phase of an unfinished battle between Saraki and the APC.

NewsmakersNG learnt that the second phase will be on the floor of the National Assembly, as APC senators are set to reclaim the presidency of the Senate.

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