Bukola Saraki’s Associates Beg President Buhari

                

Some loyalists of Senate President Bukola Saraki are beating a retreat in the lingering cold war with the All Progressives Congress (APC) hierarchy over the leadership crisis in the Red Chambers.

They have already reached out to President Muhammadu Buhari for the purpose of reconciling with him and, by extension, the party leadership.

However, the Saraki loyalists were said to have left the first meeting with Buhari “uncomfortable” on account of his body language.

Saraki and his loyalists had defied the party by rejecting its candidates for principal positions in the Senate.

They shunned the June 9 meeting convened by the APC to resolve the matter and teamed up with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to elect their own candidates including Saraki as Senate President and PDP’s Ike Ekweremadu as his deputy.

It was gathered that House of Reps Speaker Yakubu Dogara’s compliance with the APC’s directive on the choice of principal officers in the House was largely responsible for the change of heart by Saraki and his supporters having being put under pressure as a arrogant fellow by Dogara’s move.

It was gathered that the Saraki’s loyalists and strategists meeting took place at the Presidential Villa a few days ago. It was shielded from reporters for what a source described as “avoiding media backlash on the fresh peace process.”

The “peace team”, according to sources, was led by Senate Leader Ali Ndume.

Those present were Senators Adamu Aliero, Danjuma Goje, Kabiru Gaya and Abdullahi Adamu.

Two of the Senators admitted last night that they were at the meeting.

According to SR, the Senators were disturbed that all is not well between the Senate and the Presidency.

So far, President Buhari is said to have refused to meet and discuss policy issues with Saraki, causing more anxiety for loyalists of the Senate President.

Masquerades arrested for stealing N57,000 from trader in Enugu

The Police in Nsukka on today arrested two men in masquerade costume in Ovoko Community, Nsukka LGA, Enugu State, for allegedly beating up a passenger on a commercial motorcycle and robbing him of N57,000. The incident happened on the Nsukka/Oballo-Afor highway. 

A police source said policemen moved to the scene when the victim, Mr. Chinonso Ezewaji, reported the matter to Nsukka Police Area command and the two men were arrested...

"The escorts of the masquerade however ran away. There were eight masquerades. They blocked the Nsukka/Obollo-Afor road and harassed people. The two arrested masquerades however denied collecting the N57,000 from Ezewaji but claimed they know the person who collected the money from the victim. When we searched one of the arrested masquerade, we saw Indian hemp in his pocket,” the police source said.

When contacted, Public Relations Officer, Enugu State Police Command, Mr. Ebere Amarizu, confirmed the incident, saying investigation had commenced on the matter. He urged communities to regulate and monitor those who wear masquerade costumes, adding that some of them used the opportunity to harass, intimidate and rob innocent members of the public.

“The Police are not against the people practising their tradition and culture but community leaders must know the character of people they allow to wear costumes of masquerade in the name of culture. A masquerade has no right to mount road block on busy highways where motorists, motorcyclists and other road users move on daily basis. The police have commenced investigation and will get to the root of this matter as issues of masquerade disturbing people have become a recurring decimal,” Amarizu said.

The victim, Ezewaji, a trader, who deals on clothing materials, told the News Agency of Nigeria he was on his way from Nsukka to Obollo-Afor to see his mother when the masquerade stopped the motorcycle he was riding on.

“They beat me, searched me and collected N57,000. When they left, I ran into the bush and when I discovered they have gone some distance, I came out and went to the police to report"he said

The two masquerades identified themselves as Kenchukwu Eze, a carpenter, and Ejiofor Eze, a brick-layer. They, however, denied the allegation that they stole money from Ezewaji They claimed that their colleague, Chima Mamah, stole the money. Eze, however, admitted that the police saw Indian hemp in his pocket, saying it was the leftover of what they smoked before coming out.

“If the police release me, I will not wear masquerade costume, nor smoke Indian hemp again,” he pleaded.

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Can more readers send in photos and tell their stories so we can share here? The more these cases are brought to light, the better our chances of getting the police to pay more attention and do something about it. Another LIB reader shares her story after the cut...

Unbelievable and like a movie to me I was attacked yesterday at oshodi before the LASTMA office by after 7pm, I just passed the Total filling station‎ on the right when suddenly a guy came up to my car and was telling me to wind down. Well of course I didn't and the next thing the glass of the door was broken. My phone and money was taken from me, I was left in shock and later started shouting for help but instead the people in the cars and buses around were telling me to calm down. I was terrified Linda. Please Linda use this recognition you have earned to help advocate for security on Lagos roads especially in the mornings when people are going to work and evenings when they are returning back from work. This social problem has become a daily thing and like a norm. I trying hard to get the pictures of this sad incident away from my mind.

Sen. Saraki reaches out to former Gov Bola Tinubu

Multiple sources say that despite his public show of defiance, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has started reaching out to some of the aggrieved leaders of the APC.

Saraki is one of the gladiators in the clash of egos and wills that followed the Senate leadership election on June 9 and subsequent appointment of principal officers.

The Senate President had earlier visited former President Olusegun Obasanjo to help him beg President Muhammadu Buhari. He also reportedly met with the Emir of Kano and Lamido Sanusi, on the same thing.

Last week, he sent Senate Leader Ali Ndume, Senator Kabiru Gaya, Senator Adamu Aliero, Senator Danjuma Goje, and Senator Abdullahi Adamu, on his behalf Saraki who all met with President Buhari and sought forgiveness on behalf of the Senate President for acting contrary to the dictates of the party.

A report in a national daily on Saturday also said the emissaries apologised to the President for the individual roles they played in the crisis.
 

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However, sources in the party said on Saturday that the emissaries also had a brief meeting with the party’s national leader and former Governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Tinubu.
 

Many within the party see the crisis as a battle of wills with Buhari, Tinubu and some party leaders on one side of the ring and the Senate President and his backers on the other side. One of the prominent APC leaders that is believed to have backed Saraki is former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

But sources told our correspondent that Saraki, of recent, had made strenuous efforts to meet and appeal to Tinubu to sheathe his sword.

Saraki’s olive branch to Tinubu may mark a turning point in the crisis as the Senate President, before now, had insisted that he would not ‘beg’ the APC leader.
 

But the sources added that Saraki might have changed his position when all his efforts to get President Buhari to forgive him for his defiance to the party and move on.

It has been widely reported that Buhari has refused all entreaties to host the Senate President at the Presidential Villa since the controversial election in the senate. The President had also said the leadership of the senate should tow the party line.

Two APC officials yesterday shed light on Saraki’s last two attempts to reach out to the APC national leader. They said that one attempt occurred three weeks ago while the other took place on Thursday in Abuja.

“Three weeks ago he tried to get across to Tinubu through one of his aides. Of course, the aide couldn’t have arranged the meeting. Tinubu’s disposition to the matter is well known,” the source said.

The APC national leader, sources said, had told some of Saraki’s emissaries in the past that the senate leadership should toe the party line.

Another source said the last attempt took place during the week when the APC senators, who met with the President at the behest of Saraki, also tried to get across to Tinubu. A source close to Tinubu said while the former Lagos governor was aware of the move, his position on the matter had not changed.

The source stated that Saraki needed a long-term strategy to pacify the aggrieved party leaders, adding that the Senate President’s is perceived as haughty by some of these leaders.

“It is a surprise that he is reaching out to Tinubu. Saraki has no respect for Tinubu. He is contemptuous of him. During meetings he refers to him contemptuously as “Bola”. In fact there was a time that Tinubu wanted to explain a point to him and he shut him up,” the source said.

“Tinubu’s take is that the senate should toe the party line. It is not a personal problem at all. If it were a personal problem, the President won’t be reacting the same way.”

The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Lai Mohammed said on Saturday that the APC believes in party supremacy.

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"I would say Gen. Buhari did not appoint me as a commissioner; President Jonathan did. Before that, Gen. Obasanjo appointed me as a special assistant and I was posted to FCT where I was secretary for health, agriculture and social development at the same time. At the time President Jonathan came, he was looking for people that had integrity. That was what I was told, and I found myself in the commission and did my best. For somebody to now say Gen. Buhari knew me and gave me the job, obviously he knew I am a hard worker and he is a principled person.
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