The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Yekini Nabena, has accused the Senate President, Bukola Saraki of double-dealing with respect to the formation of the Reformed-All Progressives Congress.
Nabena further alleged that the Senate President betrayed the party’s trust by sponsoring rebellion within its ranks.
The party chieftain said this in a statement made available to newsmen via e-mail, in Abuja, on Sunday.
He equally challenged the Senate President to come clean by making public where he truly belongs within the ongoing realignments in the APC.
Nabena said while the Senate President was free to associate with any group or individual of his choice, he must not do so to the detriment of the governing APC.
He further alleged that Saraki had not learnt any lesson from his original betrayal of the APC in 2015 when he emerged as President of the Senate against the wishes of the party and denied the party its right to produce the Deputy Senate President.
Nabena’s statement read in part: “In recent times, there have been attempts to discredit the leadership of the All Progressives Congress and the federal government it controls by a roguish alliance of forces within and outside the party.
“The President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has loomed large in this scheme. Saraki has never hidden his sympathy for those who have launched a vicious attack on the APC, a party that gave both him and the nascent mudslingers the platform on which they ply their political careers.
“The APC is not averse to dissenting positions. But we reject deceit in every shape or form.
“Saraki must declare now where he belongs, whether he is for APC or other political interests. He cannot serve God and mammon. He cannot play hide-and-seek. He cannot hide behind his fingers.”
The party deputy spokesperson also claimed that he and others were aware that Saraki’s aides and close allies have left APC for the Peoples Democratic Party.
He cited Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje as one of such persons and also cited the case of Saraki’s Chief of Staff, Dr. Hakeem Baba Ahmed who has withdrawn his membership from the APC.
“We are also not unaware of the fact that Saraki is the brawn and the brains of the so-called Reformed All Progressives Congress.” Nabena added.
He also said, “It is clear that Saraki has not learnt any lessons from his initial betrayal of APC in 2015, when he traded off the party’s right to produce the deputy senate president for his selfish ambition of becoming the Senate President.”
He advised the Senate President to leave the party peacefully if he wanted to leave instead of trying to destroy it.
However, the Kwara State chapter of the APC chided the party’s deputy national publicity secretary for taking on the Senate president.
The Kwara State APC Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Sulyman Buhari in a statement issued in Ilorin, on Sunday said Nabena should first clarify who he was speaking for.
The state chapter of the APC advised the national officer to stop his campaign of uninformed comments against Saraki.
The statement was in response to Nabena’s statement casting aspersions on the person of the senate president.
Buhari said, “The Kwara APC has taken note of the immature display of lack of decorum by Nabena in a statement he issued today calling the Senate President names. Nabena needs to first clarify if he was speaking on behalf of the NWC of the APC or representing some faceless mischievous elements who are his paymasters.
“Instead of embarrassing himself with his meaningless diatribe that demonstrates his lack of decorum and immaturity for the position he has accidentally found himself to be occupying, Nabena should focus on understanding what his current position entails.
“This is necessary because his preparedness and capacity have definitely been called into question by his antics. He definitely cannot use Saraki’s name to get cheap popularity and buy relevance.”
Buhari added that, “At the right time, our leader, the Senate President, who remains one of the founding fathers of the APC and a deciding factor in our national politics today, will make his decision known to the whole world when he is ready.”
He urged Nigerians not to be distracted by individuals who are fond of making statements to seek relevance or for personal gain.
