Following the appearance of Senate President, Bukola Saraki at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT over alleged false declaration of assets, some of his supporters and senators from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, are planning to fight back.
They are reportedly working on a plot which will lead to the election of a new Senate president from the opposition party, should Saraki be imprisoned. Security agencies already know about the plot, it was learnt.
Moreover, there were indications yesterday that senators loyal to Saraki may have “laid an ambush” for President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministerial list, which is being awaited at the Senate “any moment from now”.
They may discard all the appointments made by Buhari so far in protest against Saraki’s trial, a source said, although the presidency is reportedly unperturbed.
The News Agency Of Nigeria reports that a source, who does not want to be named, said last night: “Some loyalists of Saraki and PDP senators have been meeting on the options available and how to tackle President Muhammadu Buhari. “At the meeting in Abuja, they resolved to stand by Saraki but if he is convicted, they will make sure that the next president of the Senate is from the PDP.
“They are really aggrieved and have vowed to stop the candidate of the Unity Forum, Sen. Ahmed Lawan, from emerging as Saraki’s successor. “From the way PDP and its senators are rallying around Saraki, no one needs a soothsayer to know that a bigger conspiracy is in the offing. “The PDP has not come to terms with the fact that it lost the last general elections.”
The source added: “They know that the President will not present imposed candidates as ministerial nominees and they are out for a pound of flesh as from September 29 because the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB dragged the President of the Senate to the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT.”
However, the security agencies have reportedly crashed the plan. A government source said: “The whole plot is aimed at frustrating the president and causing a political crisis in the country. “They have this feeling that they must pull down the house due to the arraignment of Saraki by CCT. In spite of denial, they are pointing accusing fingers at the presidency for Saraki’s travails.”
