Saraki playing with high treason, says APC

The Ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) says Senate President Bukola Saraki is playing with high treason following his refusal to reconvene the senate on Tuesday as earlier agreed.

The party said this in reaction to the explanation given by Saraki and Yakubu Dogara, Speaker of the House of Representatives, over the national assembly’s inability to reconvene to consider a request of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Buhari had asked the lawmakers to approve N242 billion for the 2019 elections.

But the principal officers of the national assembly said the relevant committees had not yet worked on the request.

In a statement on Tuesday, Yekini Nabena, APC’s acting spokesman, said: “As chairman of the eighth national assembly, Saraki’s decision not to reconvene the national assembly done with the support of the Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara further buttresses our position the Saraki is ever ready to pursue his selfish interests over national interest.

“While Saraki and his cohorts continue to postpone their doomsday regarding the imminent senate leadership change, the yet-to-be considered 2019 budget of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is dangerously delayed.

“Clearly, Saraki’s actions as senate president now border on high treason.”

Nabena said Saraki and senators elected on the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) platform have hatched a plan to use thugs to attack APC senators.

“If any senator is harmed, the PDP and Saraki should be held directly responsible. We call on security agencies to also closely monitor the activities of some PDP leaders including Saraki because the plan to attack APC senators is real and imminent,” the APC spokesman’s statement read.

“We were informed that the plot was hatched in the private residence of a PDP leader in Maitama Abuja on Sunday night. The meeting was attended by 15 pro-Saraki senators including the senate president himself.

“We learnt that the PDP expressed worry over the APC’s senate majority and considered several options to stop the APC from taking over the senate leadership among which is attacking some APC senators to ensure their inability to attend legislative sittings.

“The PDP have recruited thugs for this purpose, we have now learnt.”

The spokesman alleged that Saraki, “through proxies has made several failed attempts to buy over APC Senators with N100million each.”

“We reiterate our call for Saraki’s immediate resignation as senate president. He cannot lead the APC majority senate. But if he fails to resign honourably, we will impeach him. The PDP’s propaganda and threat of violence cannot save him,” he said.