*As Minister dismisses rumour of replacing Senate President with Akapbio
*Says 22 of 24 Kwara indigenes in Federal appointments brought by Saraki
*Those complaining over juicy appointments not in government to serve but steal – Lai Mohammed
By Kemi Kasumu and Agency reports
The Federal Government of Nigeria on Sunday said the rift between the Executive and Legislature in the country was due to personal interest of Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki.
It said things started falling apart for the party that was only coming to power for the first time the very day the Kwara Central Senator lobbied the opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to emerge as Senate President against the will of the party that brought him to power, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The government, on the sideline of a reaction to the rumour of PDP Senate Minority Leader Godswill Akpabio being planned as replacement for Saraki as Senate President, said the Muhammadu Buhari-led APC government would have rather done better with an opposition-led legislature than it faced under the Saraki-led APC controlled Senate.
The DEFENDER had reported that the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Goodwill Akpabio, was expected too defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Reacting to the defection, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said it was a One-One goalless situation for both PDP and APC, describing the Akpabio’s defection as a welcome development since, according to him, those APC defectors that left APC did so on personal reasons.
“I welcome it (defection of Akpabio) because all politics is local. All those who have left us did that for purely personal reasons.
“Since they say politics is a game of number, of course we welcome gladly the defection of the minority leader. Like they say, it is one-one goalless draw.”
On whether Akpabio was being positioned for the position of the Senate President, Mohammed said “that I don’t know”.
Mohammed said that the recent defection of some governors, state and federal lawmakers to the main opposition party, PDP, was nothing to worry about.
“There have been so much hype about this defection, and to me it’s nothing but a storm in a teacup. We must appreciate the fact that at the end of the day, all politics is local.
“One should ask, what is the electoral value of these decampees? In other words, today in Sokoto State, what’s the electoral value of those who have decamped,” he asked?
According to him, the foundation for the defection has been laid the moment Dr Bukola Saraki emerged Senate President against the wish of the party which affected the relationship between the executive and legislative arms.
The minister said that since the day Saraki lobbied the opposition party to become the Senate President, the relationship between the executive and legislature had been turbulent.
“In fact, we could not have suffered more as an executive in the hands of the legislature if a PDP person had been the senate president,” he said.
On allegation of lopsided appointment of Kwara people in Buhari’s administration, Mohammad described it as unfounded.
He said that no fewer than 24 indigenes of Kwara were given federal appointments of which he (Mohammed) only recommended two while the Senate President recommended 20.
On those complaining of not being given juicy appointment, the minister said that people complaining were not ready to serve and turn things around but eyeing what to steal.
