Saraki: Why I Ignored party directive

Bukola Saraki: my hands are tied by Senate rules

The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has given reasons why he could not comply with the directive of his party, the All Progressives Congress, over the selection of the principal officers of the senate.

In a letter dated 25 June and addressed to party chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, Saraki claimed the AP directive arrived too late as the senate caucuses from the various geo-political zones had already taken decisions on who should occupy the various offices.

The APC in a letter written by Oyegun and dated 23 June had nominated Ahmad Lawan as senate majority leader, George Akume as deputy majority leader, Olusola Adeyeye as chief whip, and Abu Ibrahim as deputy chief whip.

However, Saraki, on Thursday, 25 June announced Ali Ndume as majority leader, Bala Na’Allah as deputy majority leader and Francis Alimikhena as deputy chief whip after the various APC senate caucuses nominated them. Senator Sola Adeyeye, whose zone supported as chief whip, was not announced as the South West zone insisted on following the spirit of the party’s directive.

Saraki’s letter read: “The said letter (Oyegun’s letter) was received after various APC zonal caucuses had taken their decisions to candidates as principal officers of the senate in line with parliamentary convention and the extant provisions of the senate standing orders 2015 as amended.”

“Furthermore, whilst one is strongly persuaded to toe party line and act in accordance with the suggested party position, regrettably clear provisions of our extant rules and standard parliamentary convention have not given me that leeway to act otherwise.

“Therefore, my hands are tied in the circumstances and I seek your understanding in this regard.”

He claimed that he remains “loyal to our great party and its leadership and also fully committed to the change agenda of the Mr. President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

It is not clear how far Saraki’s explanation, after the act, would mollify outraged leaders of the party, who had been bewildered by Saraki’s serial rebellion and undermining of the doctrine of party supremacy.

His explanation also distorted the chronology of the events.

After the APC governors came out to back the party on upholding party supremacy, the party chairman wrote Saraki and the House Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, in letters dated 23 June spelling out the elected members who should occupy the various positions left to be filled , in the aftermath of the June 9 rebellion.

But Saraki and Dogara refused to admit the APC letters on 24 June.

Various reports then indicated that the zonal caucuses actually met on the same day to undermine the APC order to its rebellious members in the Upper Chamber.

On 25 June, Saraki went ahead to read the names of the selected members according to what he called the desires of the ‘zonal caucuses’. A move by pro-party elements in the House of Representatives to fulfil the party position led to the shameful fracas in the plenary of the House on 25 June, with members slugging it out with fists and throwing available chairs.

Both chambers have now been adjourned till 21 July.

Read Saraki’s letter here:

Saraki’s letter 1

Saraki’s letter 2