President Tinubu Had No Hand In Political Persecution I Faced Under Buhari…Why I’ll Not Join 2027 Presidential Race…My Relationship With Wike-Saraki

Former Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki did a postmortem of his experience and the political persecution he faced during the Muhammadu Buhari administration on Thursday and declared that President Bola Tinubu is free from blame . 

Team@orientactualmags.com learned that Dr Bukola  Saraki, who said this while appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Thursday, also noted that the president did not at any point betray him.

 Recall that Dr Bukola Saraki had served as President of the Senate between 2015 and 2019 during which the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and Tribunal (CCT) filed charges against him while he was also at different times invited for questioning by the police in respect of the 2018 Offa dacoity.

 ‘That’s not fair on President Ahmed Bola Tinubu because in those days of former president’s administration, he didn’t have that say that they claimed he may had.

My issue with that administration is that I was doing what I felt was the interest of the country as the President of the Senate and for doing those things, I was now persecuted.

Bola Ahmed Tinubu was not part of those who took the decision to go to Code of Conduct or Offa Robbery or forgery at the national assembly. That was the executive branch of government’ he added.

The former Senate President also said he has not held any closed-door meeting with the president or made a declaration of support for his re-election bid as insinuated in some quarters while noting that if he chooses to do so, it will be done in the open.

 ‘I’m not somebody that says things that I’m not going to do. Have you heard me since the president has been in power for how many years, nobody can tell you I’ve sat down to meet the president.

 I don’t go there at night, I am not a night person. If I am going to do something I will come out and beat my chest and say I am going to do it’ he said.

The former Kwara State governor, who launched his first presidential bid in 2010, has declared that he will not enter the 2027 presidential race while also providing grounds for this decision.

 ‘No, I’m not running for president in 2027’ he submitted while agreeing that becoming the nation’s president has been his lifelong ambition.

‘I do, I do, I would not lie if I say I don’t. But after the 2023 election… having Nigerians choosing to elect President Bola Tinubu from the South, I think we felt that, look, it’s only fair to allow the South to complete eight years.

So, when the party met last year to discuss zoning, I supported the position that the presidency should be zoned to the South in 2027. To abide by that decision, I have ruled out contesting’ he said.

Dr Saraki also said he is desirous of a PDP-controlled government in Kwara State because of concerns over governance and the welfare of residents.

‘It’s not that I want to win Kwara by all means. I’ve been closer to the people… and I’ve seen the pain they’ve gone through.

I’ve seen the mistakes that have been made, and the fact that they haven’t got the kind of government they expected, including the hardship and insecurity.

As a responsible leader, I hold it as my responsibility to do my best to ensure they have the best type of governance, which I believe the PDP can provide through our candidates’ he said.

Commenting on the worsening security situation in Kwara State, Dr Bukola Saraki submitted that the current administration in the state has a fair share of the blame

 ‘I believe that, based on the period when I was governor, this situation was not like this.

Most of those bandits have looked for places of least resistance… and found Kwara available because the government took its eye off the ball’ he said.

The former Senate President also commented on his relationship with the FCT minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike noting that it is purely ‘political’.

‘You can’t extrapolate that. My friendship is based on what we are going to do about this party.

I found his style, his views might be different, but that PDP must not die. PDP must be able to provide a platform for people to contest elections. That, I do not in any way doubt, is the sincerity where he stands, that’s where I stand’ he said-Team@orientactualmags.com  Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08035023079,  08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com.  Thank you