The Coalition of Civil Society and the All Progressives Congress Democratic Vanguard have criticized the recent statement attributed to the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Odigie Oyegun, which quoted him as asserting that the ruling party was ready to sacrifice the position of the Senate President for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the case of an eventual conviction of the incumbent President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, by the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
In a statement issued by the Coalitions’ convener, Olugbenga Olumegbon and Secretary, Olufemi Akindele, the groups wondered why Oyegun who is the chairman of the party, on which platform Saraki rode to become the Senate President, would make such utterance.
According to them, “We categorically State that as Politically conscious Nigerians, we are not unmindful of the fact that the entire scenario of the trial of the Senate President is Politically motivated judging by the fact that despite being Governor of Kwara State for 8years and Senator from the same state, the Code of Conduct, never deemed it necessary to invite nor investigate facts surrounding the asset declarations by Dr. Saraki until he eventually became the President of the Nigerian Senate against the wishes of some demi-gods and Political Lords in June 2015”.
They said it was unfortunate that Oyegun and some of his co-travellers “are in the pull- him-down campaign against Dr. Bukola Saraki, and were going the extra mile to undermine the sacrificial effort of Dr. Saraki and many of his likemind supporters, in dethroning the monsterous PDP, from government at that crucial moment of our National History.”
“May we remind Nigerians, that in as much that we are committed to the Anti corruption effort of the incumbent APC administration in our country, we remained opposed to every attempt to use such as a tool of intimidating perceived political opponents just for the purpose of hijacking political positions”, the statement added.
The coalitions also reminded “those who have placed their inordinate ambitions above the collective interest of the revolutionary team of the APC and the mass of Nigerian people to remember that we may not have been where we are today, without the zeal, fearlessness and determination of the men and women of noble intention, led by Dr. Bukola Saraki to wrestle power from the then ruling party, PDP”.
They, therefore, demanded “for a stoppage to the use of institutional authorities for the pursuit of individual political ambitions or primordial interest.”
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