Senate Presidency: How Saraki survived pressure, death threat to emerge

*Ekweremadu, trump card to save his life *He has come to stay – Emir More facts have continued to emerge on how the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki emerged the president of the upper legislative chamber of the 8th National Assembly. National Pilot exclusively gathered that Saraki survived intense pressure from his political opponents in the race for the top seat, which also includes threat to his live if he refused to forego his senate presidential ambition.

It was further learnt that the situation at a point was considered “too risky” by Saraki, who was said to have mooted the idea to throw in the towel by pulling out of the race. The race for the 8th senate president has been widely considered as one of the fiercest in contests in the history of the country. Since his emergence, Saraki and some caucuses of the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have been trading allegation counter allegations over party loyalty and supremacy. But while Saraki was said to still be weighing the options available to him before deciding on his next line of action, his supporters, involving members of the like minds senators, two Southwest governors and some national party leaders rallied round him to provide unflinching support and encouragement. It was gathered that it was this point that that the issue of Deputy Senate President of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ike Ekweremadu reportedly came into the picture. Contrary to report making the round that Senator Bukola Saraki had a pact with the opposition PDP to get the ticket, a source close to senate president had said the move to draft in the opposition as deputy senate president was never in the front burner. . According to a source in the know, who spoke with this medium on condition of anonymity over the matter, his opponents laid all cards on the table and reportedly pulled all strings to checkmate Saraki’s emergence. “The plan to stop him was comprehensive and advanced. They employed all means meeting traditional rulers and political bigwigs. “There were intense pressures on him to step-down for Lawan coming from his (Lawan) sponsors. But when it appeared Saraki may not be yielding to their manoeuvrings, they resorted to subtle threat”, the source added. According to another source, it was at this point that Saraki’s camp, which includes the Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, among others, came up with the issue of Ekweremadu as a trump card to save his life and guide against his eventual impeachment. “The calculation in the camp of Saraki was that with Ekweremadu as the Deputy Senate President, impeaching Saraki might benefit the opposition with what the APC leadership has toiled hard to get and thus return the whole issue to square one. And if the vibe coming from the field is anything to go by, the plan has worked perfectly”, the source added. Saraki, however, confirmed the threat to his life in an interview he granted at the weekend with some selected journalists and denied having pact with Ekweremadu. The senate president said there was a plan to abduct him on June 9, the day the 8th Assembly of the Senate was inaugurated with the aim of preventing him from running for the presidency of the Senate. “I got wind of the plan and decided to smuggle myself to the chamber as early as 6a.m. as a way of frustrating the plot. I didn’t finish meeting until 4am of that day and I had got information that efforts would likely be made to make sure that I didn’t get access into the chambers. “So, as early as 4:00am and 5:00am, I had made contingency plans that I must get into the National Assembly because the plan before was that Senators-elect should go to the Transcorp Hilton Hotel around 8:00clock and 9:00am to proceed to the National Assembly. “But I was advised that it would not be safe or secure for me to do that because some people would make sure that if I didn’t get into the chambers, it would not be possible for me to be nominated to be seconded and for me to accept the nomination. “I can tell you today that I was in the National Assembly Complex as early as 6:00 in the morning and I stayed in a car in the park from 6:00 in the morning till quarter to 10:00am.” I had nothing to do with emergence of Ike Ekweremandu of the PDP as Deputy President of the Senate. His emergence was the tardiness of APC senators, who were attending a meeting purportedly called by President Muhammadu Buhari at the International Conference Centre”, he added. Senate President: Bukola has come to stay – Emir

The Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari has described the emergence of Senator Bukola Saraki as President of the 8th Senate as one certified by God, which will outlive all the plots against it.

The Emir, who spoke on Saturday in Ilorin at the occasion of the Post Humous lecture organised in honour of Sheikh Sheu Alimi with the theme “The input and impact of Sheikh Alimi on the spread of Islam in line with triangular base in Nigeria”, said the tussle and eventual victory of Senator Bukola Saraki has every attributes of divine intervention and expressed assurance that nobody can remove him from the seat. Sulu-Gambari described the issue as the project of the entire Kwarans as demonstrated by the wave of support from all quarters in the state, adding that “nobody can collect it from him”. “Nobody can collect the senate presidency from Senator Bukola Saraki. We all prayed and rallied round him even from the opposition in the state because we believe it was a Kwara project devoid of religious, political and ethnicity affiliation. “So, irrespective of all the plots against him directed at ousting him, it shall not come to fruition because God is with him (Bukola)”, the Emir added. Also speaking, the Chairman, Central Working Committee of the event and the Magaji Nda of Ilorin, Alhaji Muhammed Soliu Woru, said the occasion, apart from celebrating the renowned scholar of Islam, was also meant to celebrate the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki as the first son of Ilorin to emerge as the Senate President and Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed for his general contribution to the development of the state. Woru said the celebration also include the Emir of Ilorin for the massive development of the palace and his general contribution to the peace and harmony in Ilorin, among other notable personalities from Ilorin. He said the occasion was organised for people to be further acquainted with the efforts and contributions of Sheikh Alimi to the growth of Islamic education in Ilorin and Nigeria and his profound influence in the emergence of many notable scholars across the country. While noting that the Ramadhan period serves as the best time for the event because “Alimi was neither looking for a spouse in Ilorin nor come to trade, but purely for religious cleansing, which coincides with this period of Ramadhan”. He said the programme, which will be held annually will continue to impact on the lives of the people of Ilorin and expressed satisfaction with the way it has gone this year with schedule of the launch of a book on the life and time of Sheikh Alimi to mark the 20th anniversary of the Emir of Ilorin on the throne and the construction of a befitting all female health centre in Afon. Over four million naira was realised in cash and pledges at the end of the programme held at the State Banquet Hall. Highlight of the event was the presentations of the Glorious Qur’an to five distinguish Kwarans amongst whom are Senator Bukola Saraki, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, both represented by Saka Isau (SAN) and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Alhaji AbdulRafiu Ayinla respectively, the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, Emir of Gwandu and Chief Imam of Ilorin, Alhaji Muhammed Bashir.