President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki has shunned President Muhammadu Buhari’s congratulatory message commending him (Saraki) over his acquittal by the Supreme Court on Friday for charges of false declaration of assets.
Twenty-four hours after President Buhari issued his congratulatory message, the Senate President is yet to return the courtesies.
The Supreme Court in a landmark ruling on Friday discharged Saraki, freeing him of all corruption charges brought against him at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT). Twenty-four hours later, presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu issued a statement on behalf of President Buhari commending Saraki’s perseverance.
President Buhari said: “I have seen many instances where individuals and groups seek the destruction of the judicial institution in the foolish thinking of saving their skin, instead of going through the painstaking process of establishing their innocence.
“In the case of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, I have seen him take the tortuous path of using the judicial process. He persevered, and in the end, the highest court of the land, the Supreme Court, says he is not guilty as charged.
“This is what I have done in the three elections in which I was cheated out, before God made it possible for me to come here the fourth time I ran for the office.”
The President said Saraki’s journey from the lowest to the highest court of the land provides an important example for Nigerians to emulate.
However, Saraki’s corruption charges have been widely regarded as a political witch hunt masterminded by the Buhari presidency.
The Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) works in collaboration with the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), a body charged with the superintendance of Declaration of Assets by every public officer in Nigeria as well as investigation of corrupt practices related to such declarations. The CCB is supervised under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation – a political appointee of the Nigerian President.
Saraki’s travails began at the CCT and degenerated into a public spectacle where the number three citizen was humiliated and ridiculed while the Buhari presidency turned a blind eye in the name of adherence to the rule of law.
A visibly busy Saraki arrived Rivers State on Saturday on the invitation of the Rivers State Government to commission the Alternative Dual Carriage Way from the Airport to Port Harcourt and East West Road.
Meanwhile, Saturday’s congratulatory message from President Buhari has received a few reactions from Twitter Nigeria.
You persecuted this man for three years, then after he finally manages to squash your petty vendetta, you somehow try to make his victory about you.
The audacity. ???????????? https://t.co/5vVARI6Fh0
— Ose Anenih (@Papadonkee) July 8, 2018
The most populous prayer point in today’s Church services.
God make my enemies and village people congratulate me, just as Buhari congratulated Saraki for his victory at the supreme court. pic.twitter.com/Vod3sjB0GS— Olu of Naija (@eazy2life) July 8, 2018
Buhari is here shooting his shot , like he’s trying to take Saraki out for dinner. ???????? https://t.co/zTw13hzNGM
— Somto Onuchukwu (@chosensomto) July 8, 2018
Several political analysts have described President Buhari’s “olive branch” congratulatory message as an indication that the chickens may be coming to roost in the wake of the 2019 presidential polls.
President Buhari, informed sources told SIGNAL, may have been awakened to a reality check and the need to build alliances following Friday’s Supreme Court ruling which has further solidified the Saraki bloc of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), forcing him (Buhari) to eat the humble pie with Saturday’s congratulatory message to Saraki.
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