Nigeria's Senate President, Bukola Saraki, had started reaching out to some of the aggrieved leaders of the party.
Saraki is one of the gladiators in the clash of egos and wills that followed the Senate leadership election on June 9 and subsequent appointment of principal officers.
The Senate President had earlier visited former President Olusegun Obasanjo to help him beg President Muhammadu Buhari.
He also reportedly met with the Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi, on the same matter.
During the week, some emissaries sent by Saraki met with President Buhari and sought forgiveness for the Senate President for acting contrary to the dictates of the party.
The emissaries included Senate Leader Ali Ndume, Senator Kabiru Gaya, Senator Adamu Aliero, Senator Danjuma Goje, and Senator Abdullahi Adamu.
A report in a national daily on Saturday also said the emissaries apologised to the President for the individual roles they played in the crisis.
However, sources in the party revealed on Saturday that the emissaries also had a brief to meet with the party’s national leader and former Governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Tinubu.
Many within the party see the crisis as a battle of wills with Buhari, Tinubu and some party leaders on one side of the ring and the Senate President and his backers on the other side. One of the prominent APC leaders that is believed to have backed Saraki is former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
But sources revealed that Saraki, of recent, had made strenuous efforts to meet and appeal to Tinubu to sheathe his sword.
Our correspondents report that Saraki’s olive branch to Tinubu may mark a turning point in the crisis as the Senate President, before now, had insisted that he would not ‘beg’ the APC leader.
But the sources added that Saraki might have changed his position when all his efforts to get President Buhari to forgive him for his defiance to the party and move on.
It has been widely reported that Buhari has refused all entreaties to host the Senate President at the Presidential Villa since the controversial election in the senate. The President had also said the leadership of the senate should tow the party line.
Two APC officials who spoke to newsmen yesterday shed light on Saraki’s last two attempts to reach out to the APC national leader. They said that one attempt occurred three weeks ago while the other took place on Thursday in Abuja.
“Three weeks ago he tried to get across to Tinubu through one of his aides. Of course, the aide couldn’t have arranged the meeting. Tinubu’s disposition to the matter is well known,” the source said.
The APC national leader, sources said, had told some of Saraki’s emissaries in the past that the senate leadership should toe the party line.
Another source said the last attempt took place during the week when the APC senators, who met with the President at the behest of Saraki, also tried to get across to Tinubu. A source close to Tinubu said while the former Lagos governor was aware of the move, his position on the matter had not changed.
The source stated that Saraki needed a long-term strategy to pacify the aggrieved party leaders, adding that the Senate President’s is perceived as haughty by some of these leaders.
“It is a surprise that he is reaching out to Tinubu. Saraki has no respect for Tinubu. He is contemptuous of him. During meetings he refers to him contemptuously as “Bola”. In fact there was a time that Tinubu wanted to explain a point to him and he shut him up,” the source said.
The source may have alluded to the cultural norm in Tinubu and Saraki’s Yoruba ethnic group where an elder is not addressed by his first name. Tinubu is 63 while Saraki is 52.
But the source close to the APC leader insisted that the national leader had no ‘ego problem’ with Saraki.
“Tinubu’s take is that the senate should toe the party line. It is not a personal problem at all. If it were a personal problem, the President won’t be reacting the same way.”
The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Lai Mohammed told one of our correspondents on Saturday that the APC believes in party supremacy.
He said, “I can’t comment on the story you are asking me about. However, the APC has made its position on party supremacy known.”
The spokesman for the Senate President, Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu, could not be reached on Saturday night. Calls and a text message sent to his line were not responded to. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Saraki and his cohorts were brought in by their mentor Atiku to scuttle the progress of APC and think they can check Buhari, but they are beginning to know that the Man Buhari is not a man one can arm-twist to get a wish.... presently their generator market is what they are trying to safe, because they still cant believe that Nigerian can enjoy so much goodwill in just 2 months and 23days of this new administration.... we are watching them because if anyone does anything to scuttle the progress flow of this government we would go on the street, it has started in Kaduna and Lagos this 2 days, we are no longer cowards..... the term is never again!!!!!!
ReplyDeletePls what has Mr. President done within this 2months and 23 days you quoted here ???? Or can't you be man enough to admit that whatever you are enjoying is what the past administration has put in place.....pls just point out what the present administration has done pls
DeleteSo you have not noticed the effective management of the power sector which has resulted in improved electricity supply,having facilities in place is millions miles different to managing same facilities properly and efficiently.Throughout Jonathan's period was there a time the generated electricity reached a sustained level as it is since the new administration took over?Only a stark illiterate or irresponsible Nigerian would not recognize the difference between having resources and mismanagement and effective and efficient management of resources.Well over 10m electorates lacks the morals and ethics of knowing the difference between thieving ad a crime thereby still voting for PDP the mega corrupt party ever witnessed in Nigeria history
DeleteHow come we didn't enjoyed it during their time pls
DeleteYou mean that they have been busy for six years putting things in place. Things that did not work in the very administration but only to work in another administration. Pls next chapter.
DeleteAnonymous 9.22 am. How come those things were not working during the past administration? It shows that the past administration deliberately held Nigeria down and as to what the present administration has done, for starters it has shown more purpose in fighting BH, it is tackling corruption head on so much that those who have skeletons in their cupboard are running heater skeeter, it is restoring Nigeria's pride in the international community and most importantly, it is restoring hope in Nigerians. Sadly many of you haters have been blinded mainly by ethnic bigotry to see any positives, you will rather we continue on the road to perdition but we have said never again.
DeleteYou just leave the blinds GEJ followers, they haven't see anything yet.
DeleteBy his grace they will surely be alive to see more so that they can select between managing and looting nation's economy.
Some of you have just refused to say the truth. The former opposition and the present ruling party had their conhorts who undermined the successes of the power sector of the immediate past regime, and now they've stopped their various undermining activities which includes vandalizing of gas pipelines. And suddenly you claim its good management. When you all know there are no ministers or principal officers. Nigerians must be very dumb to believe that.
Deleteuseless illiterate so you don't know what GMB government put in place. ask ur papa to pay you tranport to go and see NNPC warri, Porthacourt and Kaduna then give me the answer. God forbid to witness again unfocused GEJ government.
ReplyDeleteSaraki is a coward. Thought he swore to maintain his foolish stand. Anyone irrespective of position that desperately tries to stand against the change we voted for will be crushed by the moving train. Saraki is a traitor, Ekweremadu as deputy even made it worse. What was Saraki thinking? He should apologies in the newspapers. Is Ali Ndime the BH sponsor ( Allegedly ) now in APC?
ReplyDeleteLet just apprc8 small so dat bigger one can come soonext. PMB has amazed 9jirians interns of his 1daful per4mance in giving dividend of democracy n bliv more are stil
ReplyDeletel coming. @9:22, u said all are hand work of past administration, wot a pity! Go back n sleep may be by den ur brain can come to normal to think well.
Mr. U supposed to follow GEJ to Otuoke, where he failed to benefit his own also.
ReplyDeleteI think he got lost in the master planning he was doing for 6 years. So, PDP could not find their bearing.
Thank God change come before they privatize the seat of government
Please guys stop comparing PMB and GEJ administration as they are the only two presidents Nigeria has ever had. Going by past administrations before GEJ, you will find out that non has nothing to write home about. Is it Obj or Yaradua with seven point agenda that was never actualized that did well?
ReplyDeletePMB is actually doing well, but let still pray and support him so that he will take Nigerians to that promise land.
Let reason without sentiments.
with due respect to all what has been his policy on power and economy so far? what are the structure he has put in place that has brought stable light or power so soon.? it that we lack objective thinkers in this country. partiality, religion bigotry and mental myopicism has clouded our sound reasoning.
ReplyDelete