Unlike Buhari where there’s ‘no money, no patronage’, Atiku ‘will open things’ for us – Saraki

In a bombshell audio that surfaced Saturday, Senate President Bukola Saraki, among other things, said unlike President Muhammadu Buhari who had deprived him of reaping returns on his billions of investment in his election in 2015, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) “will open things”.

In the leaked audio, Saraki is heard saying his real grouse for “fighting” President Muhammadu Buhari and quitting the All Progressives Congress (APC) was because after investing about 10 billion naira for the president’s election in 2015, he was shut out from “patronage” especially regarding juicy appointments.

The audio, which had Saraki speaking in Yoruba, was published by Kayode Ogundamisi, a pro-Buhari public commentator and media contributor, via his Twitter handle. It was said to be in a recent meeting between Saraki and his loyalists in Kwara State.

The audio has not been independently verified by Ripples Nigeria and Saraki is yet to respond to the trending audio since it surfaced early on Saturday.

In the recording, the Senate President was heard saying that during the run-up to the 2015 general elections, he bankrolled President Buhari’s campaign in every state of the country except the six South-West states.

He said he spent between N200m, N300m and N400m per state with the hope that when Buhari got into office, he would be able to recoup his investments.

But Saraki said Buhari dashed his hopes.

He said, “What is the benefit of people that are campaigning for the APC? What is their track record? Use me as an example. When I left the PDP for the APC in 2014 and was campaigning for the APC like never before, we went to every state to campaign with Buhari up until the election time.

“Out of the 36 states, I paid election money in 30. Some collected N300m while some collected N400m, some collected N200m. The only states, where I had nothing to do with was in the South-West.

“Even on the phone I was calling and giving banks instructions. Our thinking was that when we get elected, we would get the majority of appointments. I even told majority of you then that we shall all be going to Abuja together after the election.

Read also: LEAKED AUDIO: I’m ‘fighting’ Buhari because after spending over N10bn in 2015, he refused to ‘reward’ me – Saraki

“I thought some of you will be appointed to head federal agencies like road maintenance, like FERMA, NITDA, NPA and others. Because I know that if any Kwara son becomes even just the ED of UBEC, I know what he can approve from his desk. Whether N1m or N2m.

“But for the first time, since we joined politics, you have a President of the Senate or even speaker that cannot appoint a cleaner. I am not referring to board appointments like board appointment which just collect money per sitting. If you look at the agencies they appoint executive positions, what do you want me to say?

“You know as a leader I see things that followers don’t see, when we followed @MBuhari we felt after spending money, we saw that he failed to reward us, so we said this Baba is not coming back, no money, no patronage all over Nigeria”.

Saraki however expressed hope in an Atiku presidency.

He said, “Now we have seen the sign that if Atiku becomes president things will come to us, he told me I am the only one that can run his campaign, I know it is not easy for you all, but let me assure you things will be better.

“When I was Governor I gave a lot of young people contract, they buy land etc and then empower others, I want to return you to the days of when I was Governor when you were all enjoying, Atiku will open things when we win election”.

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