Saraki ‘undergoing persecution, not prosecution’

Ibn Na’Allah, an All Progressives Congress (APC) senator from Kebbi state, has described the ongoing trial of Senate President Bukola Saraki as “persecution and not prosecution”.

In an interview with NAN, Na’Allah, who is also the deputy majority leader of the senate, said the lawmakers decided to suspend plenary on Thursday in solidarity with Saraki.

The lawmaker said majority of his colleagues do not believe in the process at the tribunal.

“You see, it is a matter of belief and I am going to tell you in very clear language: the belief of the 8th senate and substantial number of the senators is that the trial of the president of the senate is persecution rather than prosecution,” he said.

“If it is persecution, we believe that we have a responsibility to stand by him. But if it is prosecution, every senator of the federal republic believes and rightly so, that this government must be given all the necessary assistance it requires to fight corruption.”

Maintaining that the senators felt that Saraki was on political trial, Na’Allah said that all the senators could not be wrong at the same time.

“Let me be honest with you; from the little that I know, the senate sees the trial as more of a political trial than a trial intended specifically for the purpose for which it should be done,” he said.

“It may be wrong, it may be right, but the circumstances of the trial and for the reason that the subject matter of the trial occurred about 12 or 13 years ago, you cannot fault the senators if they come to that conclusion.

“I am not so sure that you can say that the substantial number of people who believe that this trial is wrong can, at the same time, be said to be wrong.

“We keep on hoping that those who want to assist this government honestly and sincerely will see the wisdom in portraying this government in the best tradition of democratic society.”

Affirming belief in the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, Na’Allah said Buhari meant well for Nigeria and urged Nigerians to join hands with the president.

“It is in the overall interest of everyone who loves this country to assist this government in doing everything in accordance with the dictates of our constitution,” he said.

He urged Nigerians to desist from the habit of always treating actions of people in authority with suspicion, adding that citizens must also learn to speak well of the country in every circumstance.

“We must, as citizens of this country, decide whether we will hang ourselves on the landing of unquestionable acts or we imitate our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world,” he said.

“These are people who have seen good in themselves, in their leaders and in their country, and who have become patriots of their nations rather than patriots of myopic thinking.”

Thursday’s suspension of plenary over Saraki’s assets declaration trial was the third time the senators shunned sitting over the matter.