Olubukola Saraki, and the trials of Brother Jero

I have deliberately borrowed this title from the Nobel Laureate because of the comical nature of the ongoing prosecution and persecution of the person of the Senate President by ghosts which abound our political firmament. I have tried to ignore this charade for some time now believing that as usual this game of political brinksmanship would simply fly away.

But to my shock and to those who believe in fair play and due process, the tribunal had ordered the immediate arrest of the Senate President despite the sitting order of the High Court asking for a stay of action and also despite his counsels affirmation that he would deliver his client on Monday morning.

This attempt at not only ridiculing the person of the Senate President but the position he represents is what is rankling me this morning. I really am not interested in the facts of the matter, nor the rightness of otherwise of this present palaver but the fact that the institutions of state can be turned over in pursuit of a figure who played more than a prominent role in the emergence of this present regime is to say the least worrisome.

Despite Senator Saraki’s principled stand against President Goodluck Jonathan he never came close to this level of embarrassment, that government in its attempt at dealing with the ‘irritant’ stood by the law and due process hence their inability to cow him or shut him down. This led to his increased confidence and strong public acceptance which in turn he used to the tremendous benefit of the change movement playing a vital role in its emergence and acceptance by Nigerians. Today, this same person is being attempted to be tried like a common criminal.

The inconsistencies and irregularities that abound in this case is alarming, thereby barely hiding the desperation of these forces to bury the subject. Using faulty processes, using actors who in themselves have questions and are indeed answering questions on their own probity smirks of double standards and finally commencing a trial without an Attorney General just makes the whole thing look like a poorly scripted nursery school play.

Ever since Saraki emerged as Senate President with the hoopla that came with it especially from the leadership of his own party, he has consistently been under all sort of fire that one began to wonder what kind of nerves crisscross his body. This pressure and attacks are more than enough to weaken and drive a lesser being into political oblivion. First was his wife, then the forgery thing and now this with a declaration that had earlier been filed as early as 2003 and almost every other year ever since.

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My warning to these fathers of the nation, the old ‘wisemen’ who believe they know what is best for us all of the time, is that they should thread carefully with this Saraki person. This is a battle that could weaken the very foundations of the party of change thereby making them very vulnerable. This is the best that could happen in the event that they succeed in humiliating the Senate President and pushing him out, the worse would be immediate strengthening of the opposing party at the Senate who are waiting and watching and enjoying this macabre dance of masquerades in the public square.

I beseech them to remember that Saraki is a bridge builder, the main link between core forces within our polity and a prison term or a forced resignation would only make him stronger in the court of public opinion where it really matters most. Already the public is asking questions, why this selective attempt at rubbishing a well built legacy, does the ‘too early’ battle to succeed Buhari have anything to do with this? is the confirmation hearing of ministers in the Senate a fuel for this trial? Is the anger that erupted as a result of his emergence a catalyst for this national disgrace? Whatever the case may be, we have to be very careful lest we finally erode the structures that hold up our democracy in our rabid attempt at bringing down one man.

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