His reputation for controversy certainly knows no limit.
And against this backdrop, ABDULRAHMAN A.
ABDULRAUF looks at the recent ill-feelings generated within the North Central zone of the PDP over Senate President Bukola Saraki’s consensus agenda around his presidential bid.
For Senate President Bukola Saraki, the middle name can simply be called controversy.
Although he was known to be influential among his colleague governors when he held sway in Kwara state, his growing ‘influence’ at the epicentre of the nation’s politics, has become a major source of controversy, whichever way one looks at it.
From his emergence as the number one lawmaker all through his Code of Conduct Tribunal debacle and the face-off with the Police over Offa robbery saga, it’s been one drama/ controversy or the other.
And when he chose to opt out of the governing All Progressives Congress for the Peoples Democratic Party, it was still a controversy of sort as some staunch PDP supporters in his home state quickly quit the party.
And in no time, he was made the national leader of the PDP and the rest, as they often say, is history.
The NTYTR controversy And no sooner did he join the PDP fold, the politician inched yet for another controversy via his declaration for the nation’s Presidency.
According to report, the Senate President was invited to a parley organised by the Not-Too-YoungTo-Run movement where he opened up on his bid.
Like his emergence as Senate President, the declaration stoked yet another fire as the NTYTR felt betrayed and strongly lamented the action.
Seizing the platform to declare his bid, Saraki promised an inclusive government for all Nigerians, if elected.
He pledged to ensure all Nigerians enjoyed “the inalienable right to feel a sense of belonging no matter their background or creed or what part of the country they come from.
“No matter for whom you voted or what your convictions are, government must work for you.
I have decided to answer the call of the teeming youth who have asked me to run for president.
“Accordingly, I hereby announce my intention to run for the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the coming general elections in 2019 on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
“I do so with the firm conviction that I have what it takes to secure inclusive growth for Nigeria and Nigerians.
My plan for Nigeria has inclusion in all aspects of the country’s affairs as a central pillar.”
Their angst A convener of the group, Mr.
Samson Itodo, who made the position known said, “The movement wishes to express its disappointment with Senator Saraki for usurping a platform designed for young aspirants to dialogue with party leadership, to advance his political ambition.
“We strongly condemn this act by the President of the Senate and dissociate ourselves from this political move.
“As noted earlier, the movement reaffirms its identity as a non-partisan citizen-led movement dedicated to the defense of democracy, political inclusion and transformative leadership.
“The movement restates its commitment to sustain its engagement with political parties to ensure youth candidacy and democratic primaries by the parties.” Itodo said the movement had scheduled three town hall meetings with the leadership of the All Progressive Congress, People’s Democratic Party and other parties.
It stated that while one of the town hall meetings was going on in Abuja, Saraki declared his intention to run for the office of the President in the 2019 elections.
The consensus controversy With the NTYTR dust yet to settle, the former governor moved to another platform, this time around the North Central geo-political zone where he gathered PDP leaders in the zone to intimate them of his ambition.
Speaking to the party leaders in attendance, Saraki said, “leaders from the North Central need to work together to ensure that a PDP candidate emerges from the zone.
It is clear that the only way to achieve unity in the country is when you have a leader who can manage the differences and galvanize our energy towards achieving development.
“It is not about where you come from, but it is about what you can do for our country.
If there is anybody who can do better than those of us in the North Central Zone, let them stand up.
“It is important that in October, our delegates from the North Central should work to ensure that a North Central candidate emerges – and they should work together with delegates from across the country to ensure that a North Central candidate emerges.
We request your support.” While he may not be faulted for rallying support for a credible North Central candidate as the PDP flag bearer, the statement credited to his campaign organisation, leaves a sour taste in the mouth of other aspirants from the zone.
This was sequel to a report from Saraki’s camp allegedly creating the impression that party elders in the zone had settled for a consensus candidate.
This, expectedly, drew the ire of other contenders in the zone; former Senate President David Bonaventure Mark and Senator David Jang, a former governor of Plateau state.
It is believed in some quarters that the consensus agenda was propped up to force both Mark and Jang into giving up their ambitions.
It remains a puzzle to mark’s supporters that what was ordinarily meant to be a private session ended up being passed for a consensus forum.
“What happened on Wednesday was not a meeting of North central leaders per se.
It was Saraki who conveyed the session to brief some leaders from our zone on his presidential aspiration.
The former President of the Senate, Chief David Mark was not even there,” a source in Mark’s camp said.
According to the camp, “there was no communiqué agreeing on consensus.
The leaders only advised the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of PDP, Senator Walid Jibril, to set up a committee to consult with the three aspirants from North-Central and come out with something.
“They asked the committee to liaise with the aspirants from the zone.
No one is talking of a consensus candidate at all.
The session was more of a personal agenda by Saraki because at the end of the day, a statement from the gathering was signed by the Director-General, Abubakar Bukola Saraki Campaign Organization, Wakil Mohammed.
“With such a sensitive decision on consensus, should the statement come from Saraki’s Campaign DG or stakeholders in North Central? Shouldn’t there be a communiqué? “Why must only a party be the one to sign and issue a statement? We are suspicious of the session; it was a ploy to outsmart other aspirants in the zone.” The same line of thought is toed by Jang’s supporters who believe the “misrepresentation” of the meeting by Saraki’s campaign DG” was a deliberate ploy to scuttle the ambition of other contenders.
Further, the PDP Zonal Chairman, Theophilus Dakas Shan, clarified that there was no agreement on consensus.
Rather he said, “We resolved to allow our elders in the PDP in North Central to talk to all the aspirants.
If there is a possibility, we will bring one candidate and if it is impossible, they will go for the primaries.
Whatever we are going to do, the three aspirants must reach an agreement.”
Crack in the house And with the seeming breakdown of the possibility of a north central consensus candidate, the zone might be going to Port Harcourt a divided house.
For sure, Saraki has the constitutional right to aspire, like his fellow contenders, and he has not left anybody in doubt as to his readiness to beat others to the coveted PDP presidential ticket.
But again, he must, as a matter of necessity, moderate such ambition with decorum, respect for other players and use of some level of decency.
Rather than a particular camp exhibiting a domineering tendency over others, as it does appear, analysts believe that even if a consensus is to be agreed, such talk must be kept under wraps, at least for now.
However, others have asserted that the decision by Saraki to bring together party leaders at that level and cause a consensus agenda, is a demonstration of his “political sophistry.” On the whole, political watchers are of the view that though Saraki has always emerged a stronger personality from any controversy, he must however be circumspect in his handling of the “consensus” arrangement in the zone, as he trudges on with his presidential bid.
