In order for the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and members of the Reformed APC (RAPC) to remain within the fold and not jump ship, the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) must sign a written agreement that would be binding on all. This is the demand of the R-APC as high-level horsetrading continues within the party, the Saturday Telegraph can reveal.
Saraki and his friends in the R-APC want the leadership of the APC to give them a written commitment of their agreement as both sides consider the implications of the looming defection by the RAPC members. The demand for an undertaken, according to sources familiar with the high level consultations, that have taken place in the last few weeks, has been the major obstacle between the APC and Saraki’s group. Although President Muhammad Buhari has been brought into the discussion, there are insinuations within the Saraki political structure that the intervention might have been left for too late.
“Saraki wants a written agreement but they are not willing to give it”, the source told our reporter but asked not to be named because he has no clearance to speak. “Saraki believes that his group has passed through all these problems because there was no written agreement when the stakeholders started working together in 2015. Now there are about five governors again who are working with him and are ready to leave the party but if the APC does not want them to go then they must put on paper what will happen after the election to avoid the mistake of the past”.
Asked if the agreement has anything to do with Saraki’s alleged presidential ambition, the source replied in the negative, saying Saraki was more interested in coming back as Senate President so that he could complete some reforms he had initiated in the National Assembly. On the contrary, the Peoples Democratic Party ((PDP), it was learnt, has already conceded the position to Saraki and has assured others of similar concessions relative to their positions, a development that is making their offer more likely to the R-APC members unlike the APC where they cannot really establish their fate as of now.
“The PDP has agreed to their demands, I can assure you of that, because don’t forget the PDP knows full well that the coming of the R-APC members, about five governors, Saraki and many legislators, will bring a lot of difference and will definitely affect the outcome of the next general elections.
Saraki is not interested in the presidency; his major concern going into the PDP will be the issue of picking the right presidential candidate from the list of Atiku, Tambuwal and Kwankwaso”, the source said. Meanwhile in Ilorin, Kwara State, supporters of the Senate President took to the social media yesterday to berate Buhari over his latest rapprochement with Saraki, warning the former Kwara governor to beware of falling for a booby trap like former Vice President; Alhaji Atiku Abubakar did during his face-off with then President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Buhari had met with Saraki at the instance of some governors, notably Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun and Ekiti governor–elect Kayode Fayemi. Those who know about the horse-trading said Saraki understands that both Fayemi and Amosun are close to the Senate President and must have leveraged on their relationship to bring up the meeting, given that Buhari had hitherto refused to sit down with members of the R-APC over the resolution of their grievances. But in Ilorin, Saraki’s supporters are apparently not interested in the dialogue with Buhari again.
The state’s chapter of the APC has set up a 30-man sensitisation committee it said would liaise with party stakeholders on the way forward for the party in preparation for the 2019 general elections. The committee, which cut across the three senatorial districts, is chaired jointly by the senatorial chairmen for Kwara Central, Alhaji Jimoh Adesina, Alhaji Isiaka Oniwa (Kwara North) and Alhaji Jimoh Balogun (Kwara South), the three men who have asked Saraki to lead them out of the APC.
The committee which was inaugurated by the state chairman of APC, Hon Ishola Balogun- Fulani, has a mandate of discussing with the grassroots and stakeholders in the party with a view to harnessing the pool of opinions for harmonisation on the party’s next move based on the political situation in the county. Balogun-Fulani who confirmed the development in Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government Area of the state over the weekend, noted that it would not be ‘suicidal’ to be in a party where the broom, which is the symbol of the APC, would be used as object of attack against certain people rather than to sweep away its internal challenges.
He hinted that the three committees across the districts have since commenced meetings and some have been giving us feedback on the outcome of their engagements. He said: “But what I want to tell you in Kwara South here today is that there is a consensus on our position and that is wherever the leader of the party, Saraki, decides is automatically our decision”. Yesterday, a comment by Hamza Usman, who wrote as ‘Concerned Faithful’ went viral on social media. He had warned Saraki thus: “In 2003, the then Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, had all the aces and unarguably, the best chance at becoming the flag bearer of the then ruling party and plausibly, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The then President, Olusegun Obasanjo, a retired General, having sensed what could be his impending exit from the exalted office, took a bite of the humble pie and pleaded with Atiku. “Atiku agreed to step down his ambition and literally disbanded his structure which was at its strongest, momentum wise. A move he inadvertently regrets till this day! The retired General made sure of it! Atiku has since then, never been able to gather same storm and momentum. He is still trying, but the cards just haven’t fallen into place enough to earn him that mandate. He even came a distant third in the last primaries he contested, despite all the cash, “friends?” and experience.
“History remains a source of lessons that must never be ignored. Good morning my dear leader, Dr. Saraki. May Allah (Subhanahu WaTa’Allah) guide, guard and bless your thoughts and steps to lead us aright and on to glorious times, In Shaa Allah”. Another writer, under the name North Central Youth Movement, said: “Buhari fought Saraki for three solid years through CCT. Buhari denied Saraki of fair hearing. Even though, Buhari knew there was no thorough investigation and credible evidence, Saraki was dragged before CCT.
“Buhari humiliated and vilified Saraki for three years. Now, because Supreme Court has freed him from the deadly trap of Buhari and there are rumours that Saraki is about to defect from APC, Buhari has started begging Saraki to remain in the APC to work for his second term project. “Buhari doesn’t reciprocate good deeds. Buhari has used and dumped Atiku and many other politicians in the past. Saraki should beware of Buhari”. Also in his own comment, a participant identified as Ade, said: “It was at the Villa that Governor el-Rufai said PMB will win without ABS and others. The President didn’t caution him and the presidency didn’t push a counter narrative. I don’t understand his body language.”
Saraki and his friends in the R-APC want the leadership of the APC to give them a written commitment of their agreement as both sides consider the implications of the looming defection by the RAPC members. The demand for an undertaken, according to sources familiar with the high level consultations, that have taken place in the last few weeks, has been the major obstacle between the APC and Saraki’s group. Although President Muhammad Buhari has been brought into the discussion, there are insinuations within the Saraki political structure that the intervention might have been left for too late.
“Saraki wants a written agreement but they are not willing to give it”, the source told our reporter but asked not to be named because he has no clearance to speak. “Saraki believes that his group has passed through all these problems because there was no written agreement when the stakeholders started working together in 2015. Now there are about five governors again who are working with him and are ready to leave the party but if the APC does not want them to go then they must put on paper what will happen after the election to avoid the mistake of the past”.
Asked if the agreement has anything to do with Saraki’s alleged presidential ambition, the source replied in the negative, saying Saraki was more interested in coming back as Senate President so that he could complete some reforms he had initiated in the National Assembly. On the contrary, the Peoples Democratic Party ((PDP), it was learnt, has already conceded the position to Saraki and has assured others of similar concessions relative to their positions, a development that is making their offer more likely to the R-APC members unlike the APC where they cannot really establish their fate as of now.
“The PDP has agreed to their demands, I can assure you of that, because don’t forget the PDP knows full well that the coming of the R-APC members, about five governors, Saraki and many legislators, will bring a lot of difference and will definitely affect the outcome of the next general elections.
Saraki is not interested in the presidency; his major concern going into the PDP will be the issue of picking the right presidential candidate from the list of Atiku, Tambuwal and Kwankwaso”, the source said. Meanwhile in Ilorin, Kwara State, supporters of the Senate President took to the social media yesterday to berate Buhari over his latest rapprochement with Saraki, warning the former Kwara governor to beware of falling for a booby trap like former Vice President; Alhaji Atiku Abubakar did during his face-off with then President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Buhari had met with Saraki at the instance of some governors, notably Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun and Ekiti governor–elect Kayode Fayemi. Those who know about the horse-trading said Saraki understands that both Fayemi and Amosun are close to the Senate President and must have leveraged on their relationship to bring up the meeting, given that Buhari had hitherto refused to sit down with members of the R-APC over the resolution of their grievances. But in Ilorin, Saraki’s supporters are apparently not interested in the dialogue with Buhari again.
The state’s chapter of the APC has set up a 30-man sensitisation committee it said would liaise with party stakeholders on the way forward for the party in preparation for the 2019 general elections. The committee, which cut across the three senatorial districts, is chaired jointly by the senatorial chairmen for Kwara Central, Alhaji Jimoh Adesina, Alhaji Isiaka Oniwa (Kwara North) and Alhaji Jimoh Balogun (Kwara South), the three men who have asked Saraki to lead them out of the APC.
The committee which was inaugurated by the state chairman of APC, Hon Ishola Balogun- Fulani, has a mandate of discussing with the grassroots and stakeholders in the party with a view to harnessing the pool of opinions for harmonisation on the party’s next move based on the political situation in the county. Balogun-Fulani who confirmed the development in Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government Area of the state over the weekend, noted that it would not be ‘suicidal’ to be in a party where the broom, which is the symbol of the APC, would be used as object of attack against certain people rather than to sweep away its internal challenges.
He hinted that the three committees across the districts have since commenced meetings and some have been giving us feedback on the outcome of their engagements. He said: “But what I want to tell you in Kwara South here today is that there is a consensus on our position and that is wherever the leader of the party, Saraki, decides is automatically our decision”. Yesterday, a comment by Hamza Usman, who wrote as ‘Concerned Faithful’ went viral on social media. He had warned Saraki thus: “In 2003, the then Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, had all the aces and unarguably, the best chance at becoming the flag bearer of the then ruling party and plausibly, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The then President, Olusegun Obasanjo, a retired General, having sensed what could be his impending exit from the exalted office, took a bite of the humble pie and pleaded with Atiku. “Atiku agreed to step down his ambition and literally disbanded his structure which was at its strongest, momentum wise. A move he inadvertently regrets till this day! The retired General made sure of it! Atiku has since then, never been able to gather same storm and momentum. He is still trying, but the cards just haven’t fallen into place enough to earn him that mandate. He even came a distant third in the last primaries he contested, despite all the cash, “friends?” and experience.
“History remains a source of lessons that must never be ignored. Good morning my dear leader, Dr. Saraki. May Allah (Subhanahu WaTa’Allah) guide, guard and bless your thoughts and steps to lead us aright and on to glorious times, In Shaa Allah”. Another writer, under the name North Central Youth Movement, said: “Buhari fought Saraki for three solid years through CCT. Buhari denied Saraki of fair hearing. Even though, Buhari knew there was no thorough investigation and credible evidence, Saraki was dragged before CCT.
“Buhari humiliated and vilified Saraki for three years. Now, because Supreme Court has freed him from the deadly trap of Buhari and there are rumours that Saraki is about to defect from APC, Buhari has started begging Saraki to remain in the APC to work for his second term project. “Buhari doesn’t reciprocate good deeds. Buhari has used and dumped Atiku and many other politicians in the past. Saraki should beware of Buhari”. Also in his own comment, a participant identified as Ade, said: “It was at the Villa that Governor el-Rufai said PMB will win without ABS and others. The President didn’t caution him and the presidency didn’t push a counter narrative. I don’t understand his body language.”
New Telegraph
Plan defection: Saraki demand written agreement from Buhari, APC
![Plan defection: Saraki demand written agreement from Buhari, APC]()
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July 21, 2018
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