The news of the emergence of the former Kwara State governor, Senator Bukola Saraki as the Senate President may be a surprise for many followers of the political intrigues within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as far as who became the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives are concerned.
As it were, the Senate has been characterised by wanton confusion as the APC Senators who constitute the majority in the Senate, in a mock election on Saturday, had elected Senator Ahmed Lawan as the Senate President. 35 out of 59 APC Senators participated at the mock election while 24 were absent. What this implied was that the 24 that did not show up were invariably in support of Senator Saraki’s candidature. Meanwhile, the 49 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senators and those from the other smaller parties had unanimously decided to pitch their tent with Saraki. These numbers and the turn of events, however, gave Saraki the level of confidence he had. This was why he insisted that irrespective of what played out at the Mock election on Saturday, he was still going to run for election as Senate President.
To affirm what his political calculator revealed, Senator Saraki, on Tuesday morning emerged as the Senate President of the 8th Senate in an election that consisted of only 57 out of the 108 Senators on the floor of the House. Apparently, the main challenger to Saraki, Ahmed Lawan and his supporters were said to be conspicuously absent during the exercise. Reports had revealed that they were in a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the International Conference Centre when the election was conducted. The meeting was reported to be at the instance of the President Buhari to resolve the crisis that had engulfed the APC over the new National Assembly’s, NASS, Leadership.
However, political analysts are of the view that what played out with the election of the Senate President and the Speaker could be a reflection of future happenings in the new Assembly. Of course not a few Nigerians believe the current development may not bode well for smooth operation within the Senate.
Bukola Saraki was born on 19 December 1962. He attended King’s College, Lagos from 1973 to 1978, and Cheltenham College, Cheltenham, London from 1979 to 1981 for his High School Certificate. He then studied at the London Hospital Medical College of the University of London from 1982 to 1987, and obtained his M.B.B.S (London). He was appointed Special Assistant on Budget to former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2000. He was first elected the Executive Governor of Kwara State on the platform of the PDP in 2003and reelected for a second term in 2007. In 2011, Saraki was elected as Senator representing Kwara Central and returned for another term in 2015.
DAILY INDEPENDENT
SOME PLOT AND SOME INTRIGUE THERE BY SARAKI. BUT, THE SUCCESS IS A LIE THAT WILL SOON BE EXPOSED. SHORT CUTS AND INTRIGUES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THE PROBLEM OF NIGERIA. THE PAINS OF 1959, 1966,AND 1993 ARE STILL THERE, AND WE ARE IGNORANTLY ADDING MORE.
It was always important for Buhari to have an invisible hand in this senate race when other forces where openly at play, if he was really part of this plot then its totally refreshing to have a real president in Nigeria again.