By Kayode Abdulazeez
Following allegations of collecting kickbacks in dollars levelled against the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) by his party’s aspirants and state governors, the Senate President Dr Bukola Saraki, has declared that the embattled chairman has no moral ground to continue to remain in politics.
This is even as the national leader of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) described a statement credited Oshiomhole, asking him to resign his position as the Senate President on moral ground as a joke.
Speaking with journalists in Ilorin yesterday on the sidelines of the sixth remembrance prayer for his late father, Dr Olusola Saraki, the Senate President said that Oshiomole has no locus standi to talk about morality in today’s Nigeria’s politics.
“That must be a joke coming from Oshiomole talking about moral ground. I think Oshiomole has no locus standi to talk about morality today. Oshiomole is somebody, who has been told to have been collecting not even naira but dollars from candidates and he is being accused by his party’s aspirants and Governors. I don’t think he has any moral ground, even to continue to be in politics not to talk about being a Chairman of a party.
“I remember in those days even Oyegun, they never accused him of something like this. I have left that party. I’m sure the President, based on integrity, knows the right thing to do. So, on moral ground, he cannot speak on moral ground.
Also speaking on Saturday by-election in Irepodun /Ekiti /Oke Ero /Isin federal constituency, Saraki decried huge deployment of policemen and sudden change of divisional heads of police in four local government areas for the by-election.
“You see, the mistake we sometimes make, we forget that Nigeria is a big nation in this global world, not only in the context of Africa. We provide leadership. An action that we take that tries to suggest that we are not civilised with rule of law and processes, doesn’t augur well with the image. Today, the President is the President of ECOWAS likewise the Chairman of INEC as chairman of electoral bodies in Ecowas, even show that we are a responsible country.
“So, when the Inspector General if Police(IG) begins to do things like this without following due process, it is not good for our country. And that is what we always stand for. And all those who supposed to caution him should ensure that due process is followed in thing like this.
“We have been doing bye- election here, I have never seen where the Divisional Police Officers( DPOs), are being transferred. We have been doing bye-elections here, I have never seen where 200 or 300 security personnel are being deployed. It is not about Kwara, it is about the country. It is about how the world sees us. It is about how we provide leadership in the continent. And we keep on saying that people like these are not doing the President any good. The people at the end of the day will speak, and they should allow people to exercise their rights, vote in peace and vote their wishes and should not do anything that create fear or break law and order.
“In spite of all these, I see PDP winning the election because we are on ground. There is no doubt about it. If you go round, you will know who is on ground. And you will see that in the results. They should allow people to exercise their rights”, he said.
