Saraki’s steeplechase, BY Tahir Ibrahim Tahir

Senator Bukola Saraki is the second longest serving senate president or amongst the second longest serving senate presidents; Sen. David Mark, being the longest serving in Nigeria’s history having served for 8 years.
Sen. Mark was quite mature, diplomatic, politically savvy and superbly democratic, most times playing either the father figure, or the head mediator, even on behalf of the Executive arm of government.
Mark was the figure that brokered the ‘peace deals’ between the Jonathan administration and the various labour and other pressure groups that led the occupy Nigeria protests of 2012.
Today, he sits in the Senate, quiet and reclusive, yet with the boldest voice of reason and fairness and it seems Saraki has not been giving a listening ear to the most astute assembly member ever.
Sen. Bukola’s tenure as the senate president has not only been the most eventful, but the most rancorous, scandalous and embarrassing, to say the least.
The foundation upon which his leadership rests is foul and the plinth level unscrupulous.
His party members were not in the senate chambers when he emerged as president and the APC party’s leadership felt grossly undermined.
The most revealing padding saga that exposed the sharp practices condoned by the assembly was born under his leadership, without him stepping in to not only put up some damage control, but to effect punitive measures upon erring members of the assembly, leaving only the green chamber of the assembly consisting of the House of Representatives to do its own part of brandishing and hitting with the stick.
The period was a platinum opportunity missed by Saraki to convene a world press conference to disabuse the minds of Nigerians from the dirty laundry coming from the assembly and assume a hard line stance of running an anti-corruption assembly even if seemingly.
Saraki Jnr’s code of conduct trial was hugely distractive and certainly truncated proceedings and session hours that ought to have been put to use.
The 8th assembly is celebrated to have passed more bills than any other and one marvels at how it achieved this as over 50 senators were accompanying him to the court to defend himself; as if the senate was on trial and not Saraki as a person.
This went on for roughly over a period of 3 years; and after several amendments to his charges, his case was eventually dismissed and he was acquitted/absolved of any wrong doing.
The Offa robbery was the worst of the hurdles he has had to jump over, this time knocking the frame down with his spikes, dismembering the wood from the iron, constituting grave danger to any runners around and behind him.
CNN’s recent poser as to why Saraki did not offer privileged information about the accused persons when the police were running their investigations.
Looking back from that point on, he started to lose steam and the considerably fair amount of people that supported and empathised with him began to assume reprehensive postures.
The games were coming to a close and the senate president’s steeplechase tactics were landing him in more troubled waters each and every time he tried to leap any higher.
It was becoming embarrassing.
The supposed blockade of his route from his residence to the assembly by policemen followed by another blockade of the National Assembly by DSS operatives are the two straws that clogged his run and brought him and his spikes crashing down onto the track’s canvas, exposing how unprepared or how unworthy he is to occupy the no.
3 position in a government that belongs to his party whom he had been fighting and running against, from the bang of the gun that started the race.
This makes me miss Senator David Mark as Senate chair, one with an array of leadership qualities that would have provided the balance and cohesive working relationship between the Legislature and the Executive, devoid of games, deceit and ambition.
Saraki’s desperation is no longer in retention and the cards he has played have further unveiled his ‘birthright’ ambition of running and becoming the President of this wonderful country Nigeria.
Whenever Saraki, Dogara and Buhari meet for discussions or ceremonies, Saraki’s mien has been that of disdain while Dogara’s has always been respectful and a bit affectionate.
Those pictures and videos rather than any political permutations, led me to the hypothesis that Saraki was leaving the APC, and Dogara was likely staying and was merely offering Saraki as much camaraderie as he could afford.
With the rumors of the manipulated Senate rules that ushered him in as leader of the senate, to the lopsided defection declarations on the floor of the senate, as well as the misleading number of PDP senators as the majority in the senate, the loop of schemes and moves have come to a close and re-convening the senate from its recess might probably be the end of an ambition that was probably conceived and built for over 50 years.
The gist of the bad omen from his father’s mixed blessings to him may be confirmed or not; only time shall tell.
But for now, it looks like the race is over, especially with a comrade as umpire chair, breathing down his neck, impressing on him to succumb to party supremacy and towing the path of honour.
Tahir writes from Bauchi

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