NATIONAL ASSEMBLY LEADERSHIP : APC CABAL WILL FAIL AGAIN – Saraki

Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, on Monday declared that former Lagos state governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and his cohorts will fail again like they did in June, 2015 if they attempt to foist a leadership on the Ninth National Assembly due for inauguration in June.

Saraki, in a statement issued by his Media Adviser, Yusuph Olaniyonu, in reaction to Tinubu’s allegation on Sunday that the National Assembly leadership padded the budget in the last four years, also described the budget padding allegation as careless, irresponsible and callous.

The Senate President said the grand plan by Tinubu and his co-travellers not to allow the wishes of federal legislators-elect to prevail in the election of presiding officers of the Ninth National Assembly would fail as it was the case at the inauguration of the 8th Assembly on June 9, 2015.

According to him, “Tinubu should know that if there was any mistake made on June 9, 2015, it was the miscalculation by himself and his small cabal in the All Progressives Congress (APC) who felt they could decide for the Senators-elect and House of Representatives members-elect. When they failed after their grand-standing that they could always got whatever they desired, they resorted to undermining the institution of the legislature and waging a campaign of calumny against the law making bod

Saraki further emphasised that “it is obvious Tinubu’s arbitrary and tactless interference in the process for the emergence of the leadership of the Ninth Assembly is already falling through.

He, however, advised Tinubu for the sake of the stability of the National Assembly to allow the members to elect their leadership in consultations with the party leadership.

On the allegation that national budgets were delayed, distorted, padded, new projects introduced, funds for projects reduced, “to halt progress of government”, the Senate President described as unfortunate that a man like Tinubu who had been in the Senate (though for 22 months and under a military regime) should not have a better understanding of how the legislature works.

He stated that the passage of budgets is definitely not the exclusive responsibility of the leadership of the Senate as most of the work is done by the various committees.