SARAKI To APC: I am not worst senate leader

Senate President Bukola Saraki has said he was not the worst head of the National Assembly ever produced in Nigeria.

He described as baseless accusation by All Progressives Congress(APC) that he was the worst president the National Assembly had produced.

Saraki said in a statement by his Special Adviser, Media, Mr Yusuph Olaniyonu, on Thursday, that the comments by the APC was prompted by alleged plans by the party to “subvert democracy”.

He said: “We can’t descend into the gutter with these characters. Apparently, they have not recovered from the shock of their Tuesday’s failed attempt to subvert democracy.”

The APC had in earlier in a statement by its acting National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Yekini Nabena, said that Saraki was not fit for office of president of the senate.

The party said, “In every democratic country, the position of the Senate President is one of the highest political offices one can attain’’.

“It is a position reserved for the best of the best, experienced and exemplary politicians who by their character and conduct in public offices, the younger generation look up to as role models.”

Nabena alleged that in terms of exemplary personage, the reverse is the case in respect of Saraki who had been involved in one controversy or the other, including budget-padding, filibustering and legislative rascality.

It was the first reaction from the party, since Saraki addressed a press conference Wednesday posturing himself as a defender of democracy, against the backdrop of a reckless blockade of the National Assembly by the sacked director-general of the Department of State Services, Lawal Daura.

Saraki heaped the blame on the executive, a claim debunked promptly by the sacking of Daura and condemnation of the action, by acting President Yemi Osinbajo.

The APC was obviously not impressed by Saraki’s grandstanding and declared that he should be put where he belonged.

“The Senate must do everything possible to put Saraki where he rightly belongs; the back seat.

“He is definitely not a fit and proper person to preside over the country’s upper and revered legislative house,”the statement said.

It noted that in every democratic country, the position of the Senate President was one of the highest political offices one could attain.

Such position the statement said, was reserved for the best of the best, experienced and exemplary politicians who by their character and conduct in public offices, the younger generation look up to as role models.

It added that in terms of exemplary personage, the reverse was the case in respect to Saraki.

According to the statement, Saraki has been “a dismal failure” and has been involved in one controversy or the other since he became the President of the Senate.

This, it noted included; budget padding, legislative rascality, and sabotage of matters of national interest, among other criminalities too numerous to mention.

“Having suffered under the 16-year misrule of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Saraki will go down in our country’s history as the worst Senate President Nigeria has had the misfortune to have.

“Since his usurpation of the coveted seat, achieved through a wicked conspiracy with members of the opposition PDP, it has been from one controversy to another.

“The code of conduct trial for false declaration of assets; conspiracy with his deputy to fraudulently alter the rules of the Senate and links to the deadly armed robbers who wasted many lives in the Offa robbery attack.

(NAN)