Senate President Bukola Saraki has blamed his colleagues in the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the emergence of Ike Ekweremadu as deputy senate president despite being a member of the opposition.
Saraki on Monday denied going into an alliance with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to become senate president.
His emergence as senate president was mired in controversy owing to the circumstances surrounding the election.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) had endorsed Ahmad Lawan for the post but Saraki had the backing of the PDP lawmakers.
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He was elected unanimously by 57 senators while the remaining 51, all from APC, were absent in the chambers during the election.
Reacting to a Twitter user’s accusation that his action truncated the change mandate of the APC, Saraki maintained that he did not strike any deal with the opposition party.
“I did not do any deal with @OfficialPDPNig. I did not have to because even before they took group decision, 22 or them already endorsed me,” he said.
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Saraki said he never thought the APC lawmakers would absent themselves from the proceedings.
“I didn’t envisage some @APCNigeria members been absent from @NGRSenate especially when clerk already received a proclamation from President.
“If a team refused to turn up for a scheduled match & was consequently walked over, would it be fair to blame the team that turned up?
“Those that made it possible for PDP to claim DSP position were those who decided to hold a meeting when senators ought to be in the chambers.”
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I did not do any deal with @OfficialPDPNig . I did not have to because even before they took group decision, 22 or them already endorsed me https://t.co/2bHjxAaDlQ
— Bukola Saraki (@bukolasaraki) May 1, 2017
I didn’t envisage some @APCNigeria members been absent from @NGRSenate especially when clerk already received a proclamation from President https://t.co/2bHjxAaDlQ — Bukola Saraki (@bukolasaraki) May 1, 2017
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If a team refused to turn up for a scheduled match & was consequently walked over, would it be fair to blame the team that turned up? https://t.co/2bHjxAaDlQ
Advertisement— Bukola Saraki (@bukolasaraki) May 1, 2017
Those that made it possible for PDP to claim DSP position were those who decided to hold a meeting when senators ought to be in the chambers https://t.co/2bHjxAaDlQ
Advertisement— Bukola Saraki (@bukolasaraki) May 1, 2017
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