APC to Saraki: You’ll rather rule in hell than serve in paradise

The All Progressives Congress (APC) says the interest and welfare of Nigerians do not mean anything to Senate President Bukola Saraki.

In a statement on Monday, Yekini Nabena, APC’s acting spokesman, said the only politics Saraki knows, is about himself.

Responding to a comment made by the senate president who said he was considering running for the seat of the president in 2019, Nabena said Saraki will rather rule in hell than serve in paradise

He asked Nigerians to be wary of Saraki whose ambition “would always supersede that of the country”.

“Nigerians should be wary of a man whose personal ambition will always supersede the interest of the majority and national interest as currently displayed in the national assembly,” the statement read.

“While Saraki refuses to reconvene the national assembly, the 2019 election budget of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is dangerously delayed, an action deliberately taken to sabotage INEC’s ability to conduct free, fair, transparent and credible elections in 2019.

“While Saraki refuses to step down as senate president as rightly and severally demanded by the APC-dominated Senate, he is bent on foisting a PDP-minority in the upper legislative house.

“The only politics that Bukola Saraki plays is self, himself only and only himself. The interest and welfare of the people of Nigeria do not mean anything to him.

“Now it is the presidency Saraki wants. And we ask with what antecedents is he doing this? Conspiracy, blackmail, treachery and vaulting ambition which overleaps itself and falls on the other, as rightly captured by William Shakespeare. Bukola Saraki will rather rule in hell than serve in paradise.”

He said Saraki’s ambition has brought to the fore the party’s earlier call on the anti-graft agencies to check the use of stolen public funds to finance elections.

“We reiterate our position that the Nigerian electorate must have the opportunity to choose from candidates that can pass the integrity and anti-corruption test,” Nabena said.

“Let us refresh our memory on some of Saraki’s corruption allegations: Allegations of fraud which led to the collapse of the Saraki family-owned Société Générale Bank (Bukola Saraki who was Director of the defunct bank was indicted over N1bn alleged to have been looted from the bank’s treasury).

“Misappropriation of Kwara state funds, disregard of government due process and conversion of state government assets into his and cronies when he served as two-term governor of Kwara state. History of betrayals, treachery and sabotage – Family, political party (PDP, APC), Senate, government.

“Saraki was questioned by the Nigeria police Special Fraud Unit over a N11 billion financial scandal at the defunct Intercontinental Bank.”