By Baron Ike
Senate President, Bukola Saraki, is still battling to show his loyalty to President Muhammadu Buhari’s Presidency, explaining on Wednesday, May 31 that he did not contest the 2014 presidential primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) which produced him as the party’s flag bearer because he wanted to support Buhari.
Saraki offered the explanation in response to a report reportedly published in Africa Confidential, a specialist publication on Africa, which claimed that he had contested against Buhari.
In a statement on Wednesday by his spokesperson, Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki said he decided to support Buhari when the latter indicated interest to run as President.
Africa Confidential report was an analysis of how succession politics within the APC is allegedly frustrating Buhari’s anti-corruption campaign. It also claimed that the Saraki has retained the services of a London-based communications consultant, Aequitas, to help him work on his public image.
But the senate president said all the information contained therein were wrong, according to Olaniyonu.
Olaniyonu wrote:“Dr. Saraki publicly announced in a statement in Ilorin on October 12, 2014 that he would not contest against Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) who was then an aspirant because ‘some of us need to make sacrifice and be part of the solution rather than part of the problem of the party.
“He then declared that he would support the candidacy of the retired General. Dr. Saraki was one of the people who worked tirelessly to ensure General Buhari won the APC ticket and the general election.
“Again, contrary to the claim in your article, Dr. Saraki does not retain the services of Aequitas. He formerly engaged Aequitas for strategic policy services while he was Governor of Kwara State and Chair of the Nigeria Governors Forum, and at the initial stage of his period as Senate President. He no longer retains the services of Aequitas effective from January 1, 2017.
Saraki said that his interest, for now, was how to reform the country’s Senate and “make it an institution whose impact and relevance is felt and appreciated by the generality of the people,” even as he pledged his “full support” for the administration of Buhari.