Chief Edwin Clark, an elder statesman from the South-South, Convener of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), has declared support for the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, who is currently facing threats of impeachment from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) since his defection to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Clark stated that he is proud of Saraki for sustaining the legacies of his father, Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki.
The Elder statesman refuted writing an open letter to Senate President Saraki. He remarked that the letter trending on the social media is the handiwork of mischief makers. He admitted that he wrote a letter five years ago when Saraki was governor of Kwara State; and that the issues raised in that letter had been adequately addressed. Clark affirmed that he is standing with Saraki in his current travails.
The Elder statesman in a statement emphasized that the he wrote in 2013, saying that circulating the letter on the social media was aimed at misinforming and misleading the public.
Clark declared in part: “My attention has been drawn to a letter … currently being circulated in the social media, with the intent to misinform and mislead the reading public.
“The said letter which I wrote over five years ago was written out of despair and anger at the time to reach Saraki, who was then the Governor of Kwara State, in order to mediate in a misunderstanding between my very close friend, his father, late Dr. Olusola Saraki, his daughter, Senator Gbemi Saraki on one side, and his son, Dr. Bukola Saraki, himself.
“The circumstances that led to my writing the letter had been settled long ago. Today, Bukola Saraki is my son with whom I enjoy a good relationship.
“It is, therefore, surprising that the letter written over five years ago was altered in the said social media publication to suit the whims and caprices of the authors.
“Let me reinstate that the late Dr. Olusola Saraki, father of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, was my very good friend and colleague, in the Senate of the Second Republic, where he was Senate leader.
“Thereafter, both of us were leaders of our respective geopolitical zones. While he was leader of the Northern Union, NU, I was leader of the South-South Peoples Assembly, SSPA.
“Today, I have a duty to stand by my son, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and also defend him, from any act of persecution, aimed at destroying his illustrious political career and his father’s rich legacy.”