Why Saraki Shouldn't Be Senate President

Some of my associates have been asking why I am against the emergence of Senator Bukola Saraki as the senate president. They are of the view that, omo eni o ni se idi bebere, ka wa fi ileke si idi omo elomi, meaning that, we should always support our own. But for me, I cannot a support a bad candidate because he his my own.

Governance is not about self, but about the society. We should not support our own simply because they are our own, rather, we should support the best available irrespective of where they come from. For Saraki, he his a bad example of a change agent.

For the records, I understand that Senator Bukola Saraki, the former Kwara State governor is the most strategically positioned to become the next senate president, though he his not the most ideal personality for that exalted position.

He has the backing of the G5 governors who defected from the People Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressive Congress (APC). As reports have it, the G5 governors have not been able to get any meaningful position in the ongoing zoning arrangement, even the SGF position which is being proposed for Rotimi Amaechi has been reportedly zoned to South East.

So for now, the only major position that could be claimed by the G5 governors for risking, investing and sacrificing so much for the emergence of Buhari is the senate president. This informed their decision to support Bukola Saraki and they are willing to do all they can to get this one major position as compensation.

Again, we all recall that Saraki once declared his interest in contesting the APC presidential primary election. He suspended his participation few weeks to the primary election and eventually worked for Buhari’s emergence.

It is my view that, Saraki did that strategically to brighten his chances of emerging as the senate president should APC emerge victorious. Now that they have emerged, he could use that to negotiate with Buhari, noting that he stepped down and mobilized support for the former head of state.

Also, considering the fact that many zones are lobbying for the position within APC, the 45 senators elected on the platform of the PDP may back Saraki to have certain influence in the new Government.

Reports have it that, the PDP senators want a repeat of Tambuwal situation, where PDP choice, Mulikat Akande was defeat by Aminu Tambuwal as speaker in 7th national Assembly. As a former PDP member, PDP senators seems to be ready to give Bukola a block vote to spite APC should APC refuse to annoint Bukola as their candidate for the post of senate president.

However, It is my view that, considering the agenda before the president elect, General Muhammadu Buhari needs a kind of legislative house that desired change as much as he does, and the National Assembly should be led by someone that shared Buhari’s ideal about fighting corruption and other ills affecting our dear nation. But in my view, Bukola Saraki is not that kind of person. His history points to the other direction.

Saraki lack the integrity, he lack the patriotism and also lack the will and zeal to pilot a progressive legislative house. Should such kind of individual assume the position of senate president, APC and the entire Nigerian would regret that decision.

Let us get it straight once and for all, a man with several corruption cases with EFCC cannot help the president fight corruption. A man who publicly frown at asset declaration as canvassed by the president elect can never assist him in ensuring transparency and accountability. A man who see’s himself as overlord over the people of his state will never ensure equality.

This is the man who first ensure the enactment of pension bill for former governors in Nigeria. He currently receives N100million every month for doing nothing, while the highest civil servant workers in the state earn less than N100,000 per month.

This man cannot promote pro-peoples legislation, certainly, he his a capitalist politician who see’s every other person as beneath him.

Should he emerge senate president, that will drag Nigeria 10years backward.

Abdulrazaq O Hamzat is the founder of Kwara Must Change