Buhari accepts Saraki, Dogara; APC disowns them

President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC are not in agreement over the choice of lawmakers that emerged to lead the 8th Assembly.
Senator Bukola Saraki was elected as Senate president, while Senator Ike Ekweremadu emerged as deputy senate president. Hon. Yakubu also emergedas speaker of the House of Representatives.
While the president on Tuesday said he had noted the outcome of the elections of leaders of the National Assembly and stood by his earlier position that he would work with whoever the lawmakers elected as their leaders, the APC said the outcome was unacceptable to the party.
A statement by the president’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said, “President Buhari had said in an earlier statement that he did not have any preferred candidate for the Senate and the House of Representatives, and that he was willing to work with whoever the lawmakers elected.
“That sentiment still stands. Though he would have preferred the new leaders to have emerged through the process established by the party.
The APC however kicked, describing as totally unacceptable and the highest level of indiscipline and treachery the conduct of Tuesday’s inauguration of the National Assembly that led to the emergence of Senator Saraki and Hon Dogara as Senate President.and Speaker of the House of Representatives, respectively.

”Senator Bukola and Hon. Dogara are not the candidates of the APC and a majority of its National Assembly members-elect for the positions of Senate President and House Speaker.
In a statement by APC National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in Abuja on Tuesday, the party said, “Senator Bukola and Hon. Dogara are not the candidates of the APC and a majority of its National Assembly members-elect for the positions of Senate President and House Speaker. The party duly met and conducted a straw poll and clear candidates emerged for the posts of Senate President, Deputy Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives, supported by a majority of all Senators-elect and members-elect of the House of Representatives.

“All National Assembly members-elect, who emerged on the platform of the party, are bound by that decision. The party is supreme and its interest is superior to that of its individual members.

”Consequently, the APC leadership is meeting in a bid to reestablish discipline in the party and to mete out the necessary sanctions to all those involved in what is nothing but a monumental act of indiscipline and betrayal to subject the party to ridicule and create obstacles for the new administration.”

APC decried a situation in which some people, based on nothing but “inordinate ambition” and
”There can be no higher level of treachery, disloyalty and insincerity within any party,” the party said, vowing to resolve the matter using all constitutional and legal means available to it.

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