Saraki replies Tinubu, tells why APC Leader attacks him

The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has said the National Leader of the APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is only supporting President Muhammadu Buhari’s second term bid because of his 2023 presidential ambition.

Reacting to a statement Tinubu issued on Sunday, Saraki said the former Lagos State governor always attacked him because he rejected a Muslim-Muslim ticket for the APC in 2014.

Tinubu, in the statement, said both Saraki and Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, left the APC for the opposition PDP because there was no assurance for automatic tickets, sharing of national wealth, offices and other privileges.

Tinubu also said they have presidential ambitions to unseat Buhari, but that they knew they could not realise such under the APC, hence their decision to jump ship.

But in a statement he personally signed yesterday, Saraki said Tinubu was economical with the truth.

“I have always restrained from joining issues in the media with Asiwaju Tinubu, and this is based on my respect for him. However, I will not allow him to create a wrong, false and mischievous impression about the reasons for my decision to exit the APC and present his prejudices as facts for public consumption.

“I have been consistent in my complaints to all leaders of the APC, including Tinubu, that a situation where the National Assembly is not constructively engaged or carried along in key policy decisions, particularly those that will eventually require legislative approval, is not in the best interest of the nation.

“No genuine leader of the legislature will be comfortable that the presidency will simply write a terse letter to the National Assembly on key issues which the federal legislature is expected to later deliberate on and give its approval. The Buhari administration consistently treats the legislature with contempt and acts as if the law-making body should be an appendage of the executive. To me, that is unacceptable.

“In the same way, I find it very objectionable that many stakeholders who worked strenuously to get the administration into office have now been excluded in the government and not consulted on key decisions as necessary and expected.

“In fact, some of them are treated as pariah. A party which ignores justice, equity and inclusion as basic pre-condition for peace, unity and stability cannot sustain its membership and leadership,” he said.

He said he had raised all the issues with Tinubu during the various meetings they had as part of the reconciliation assignment given to the APC national leader by President Buhari.