Some Senators on Sunday reiterated their “solid and unshakable” support for the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, whose corruption trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal commences on Friday.
Mr. Saraki risks losing his seat if found guilty of the false asset declaration by the tribunal in a charge brought against him by the Federal Government.
As his opponents, particularly Kabiru Marafa (APC-Zamfara State), continue to call for his resignation “to save the image of the National Assembly”, there is growing insinuation that Mr. Saraki’s supporters are also searching for a suitable replacement should he lose eventually.
However, on Sunday, five Senators – Lanre Tejuoso (APC-Ogun), Ibrahim Rafiu (APC-Kwara), Peter Nwaoboshi (PDP-Delta), Isa Misau (APC-Bauchi) and Mr. Sabi – issued a joint statement, reiterating loyalty to Mr. Saraki and dismissing insinuation of shopping for his replacement.
They claim they acted on behalf of “overwhelming majority of their colleagues.”
Their statement came in obvious reaction to Sunday’s story published by a National Newspaper which reported that Mr. Saraki’s supporters were considering choosing a “New PDP” Senator from Kwara State or Nasarawa State as his replacement.
But the five Senators said there was no truth about claims that some Senators were discussing or thinking about Mr. Saraki’s successor “because there is no basis for that.”
“Let us make it clear, our position remains the same. The case against Saraki at the Code of Conduct Tribunal is not a case of corruption. It is a case of political persecution. Again, he remains innocent until the case has gone through the final floor of the judicial architecture. We have no doubt that the mischief will fail and so we are solidly behind him. We continue to stand by Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki and nothing will change that”, the Senators said.
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