Saraki: My son has no interest in politics

Bukola Saraki, senate president, has ruled out the possibility of his son participating in the governorship race in Kwara in 2019.

Saraki said his son has no interest in pursuing a career in politics.

Speaking at the NAN forum in Abuja, Saraki also said he was reluctant about becoming a politician.

He said it was untrue that his son was being groomed as the next governor of the state, adding that his son is not interested in politics.

“That is not in the offing at all; I am sure he doesn’t even want to hear politics at all,” Saraki said.

“You know it is not easy for children who are born to politicians, especially in this time, to embrace politics.

“When I was much younger, we were insulated from some of the political issues, and because we didn’t read the newspapers, we didn’t know what was happening.

“I reluctantly went into politics, you can go and check. Once or twice, I was given the form to run for house of representatives, and I remember I just travelled and disappeared for months.

“After seeing what my father had been through I thought to myself that this is not for me.”

Despite his initial “reluctance” to venture into politics, Saraki has held many political offices in Nigeria.

He served as the governor of Kwara state on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for two terms between 2003 and 2011.

During in his second term, Saraki became chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) in 2007.

He also ran for the office of the senator representing the Kwara central senatorial district, succeeding his sister, Gbemisola Saraki-Forowa.

Saraki was on June 9, 2015, elected president of the senate.