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One Senate President, too many troubles

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$30bn LOAN: You got it all wrong, Saraki tells media

A fresh round of trial over alleged corruption may begin in the political career of the Senate President Bukola Saraki.

There are strong insinuations, that former governors who have cases of alleged corruption against them investigated by anti-graft agency, but are yet to be prosecuted, may soon be facing trial.

And among the list of these governors, about 31 of them, the name of Saraki appeared, as his tenure as former governor of Kwara state is under investigation.

It has been reported that the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, not too long ago had written to the chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), directing the reopening of the cases of the ex-governors.

If this happens, it means that Saraki will now be facing three different cases, and if found guilty in any of these cases, may end his ruggedly fought political career in the confines of a prison room.

In Nigeria’s political history, no Senate President has had it as hard as Saraki, not even those who were removed by impeachment. This is because, ever since Saraki became the Senate President, he has continued to be troubled for his alleged past and present sins.

His travails is suspected not to be unconnected with his controversial emergence as the President of the 8th Senate; because no sooner had he emerged than files of allegation of corruption involving him were thrown open.

The Senate President, had opposed the decision of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), whose preferred candidate for the position of the Senate President was Senator Ahmed Lawan, with Ali Ndume, as his deputy.

Read also: How Saraki, Ekweremadu can escape trial –Marafa

But in an act, many had referred to as desperation, disrespect and un-holy union, Saraki teamed up with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators, to emerge as Senate President, aiding also, a senator from the opposition PDP, Ike Ekweremadu, to emerge as Deputy Senate President.

Barely three months after, he was summoned by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), over allegations of false asset declaration as the governor of Kwara state between 2003 and 2011.

Before his summon, the first attempt to nail Saraki was when the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), summoned the wife Mrs Toyin Saraki, to its Abuja office to answer questions over corruption, allegedly committed while she was in office as first lady.

But the Senate in a move to shield the wife of the Senate President, passed a motion barring the commission and similar bodies from harassing, intimidating and blackmailing senators and their wives.

The legal fireworks to ensure that Saraki is nailed got serious attention when the chairman, Code of Conduct Bureau, Justice Danladi Umar, ordered the then Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Solomon Arase, to produce Saraki in court to answer questions a 13 count charge of false asset declaration before the bureau.

Since then, the former Kwara state governor has never known peace.

While Saraki is yet to absolve himself of any wrong doing before the CCT, APC senators of Like Minds, alerted the police that Saraki, his deputy Ekweremadu, a clerk to the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa and his deputy, Mr. Ben Efeturi, forged the Senate Standing Rule to emerge as Senate President and Deputy.

The Federal Government picked up the issue and dragged Saraki and his alleged accomplices before a Federal High Court in Abuja. The case is still in court.

This is not forgetting the anti-graft agency searchlight beamed on Saraki over his involvement in activities that led to the collapse of Societe General Bank, of which his family was a majority shareholder.

In a bid to nail Saraki it was gathered, the EFCC dusted the file of the failed bank and declared Kennedy Izuagbe, a former director of the defunct Societe Generale Bank Nigeria Plc and managing director of Carlisle Properties and Investment Limited, a company Saraki allegedly owned wanted.

You may also like: Saraki moves to pacify opponents, reshuffles Senate committees

Saraki, had in a move many believed was an effort to pacify APC senators of Like Minds, so that they may withdraw the forgery case against him, handed juicy Senate committee leadership position to members of the group.

Senator Kabiru Marafa, one of his fierce opponents and Senator Oluremi Tinubu, wife of APC leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who many also believe is not in support of Saraki being the President of the Senate, benefited from the new appointments.

Despite this perceived peace move by Saraki, the APC-led Federal Government, is coming up with the latest rumoured move that Malami, had written to the chairman ICPC, directing the reopening of the cases of the ex-governors of which Saraki is part of.

The said letter partly read, “It is clear that some of these governors and other politically-exposed persons have not been charged to court despite the fact that the ICPC has concluded their investigations, concerning allegations leveled against them, for one reason or the other.

“It is the position of the present administration that all ex-governors, who the ICPC had long concluded investigations into the various allegations leveled against them, should be immediately prosecuted.”

How Saraki, who himself is not a stranger to controversies will escape all these travails unhurt, can only be told with time.

But one way or another, the cases must be resolved. It will be either he is finally nailed with his political career doomed, or emerge victorious and enshrine his name in the political history of the country, as one Senate President, who, despite multiple alleged cases of corruption, survived unhurt.

By Ebere Ndukwu …

 

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