I am 100% in support of the FG’s prosecution of Senate President Olubukola Saraki over the allegations levelled against him that borders on falsification of his assets that he declared before the Code of Conduct Bureau in 2003. I believe that people should be held responsible for their actions. However, the ongoing trials of Saraki has exposed the hypocrisy and insincerity of President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the All Progressive Congress.
The Insincerity and Hypocrisy of Buhari
Following the Saraki event may make one be FOOLED into believing that ‘Buhari mean business’. The fact on ground is that ‘Buhari has just been exposed as an insincere and double-faced leader.
On Sunday, 20 September, Buhari through his spokesman Shehu Garba came out to say the President will not intervene in this Saraki’s travails because he has sworn to allow judicial process take its course. In the exact words of Shehu;
“Even if the President wants to help, there is no way he can do anything. Is he going to ask the judge to stop the trial? It is purely a judicial process, the type of which are routinely dealt with by the CCB and the CCT. There are many cases like this that are going on.
The government that made this statement is the same government that killed the judicial process with respect to the N2.8 billion corruption suit that was instituted against exBayelsa state Governor and APC Chieftain Timpre Sylva by withdrawing the charges against the accused which was instituted in 2012 and prosecuted by EFCC. The Sylva case was withdrawn on June 1, 2015 ie three days after Buhari took office as president. This was even to the amazement of the EFCC prosecutor, who bluntly told the Judge that the EFCC was not part of the Justice Ministry’s decision http://www.punchng.com/news/fg-withdraws-n2-45bn-fraud-suit-against-sylva-efcc-kicks/ . The withdrawal of that suit paved way for the striking out of similar suit against Sylva by another judge. Today, Sylva is not only free but he’s set to pick APC ticket for Bayelsa state governorship contest. Who is the President trying to deceive?
Is it not the same President Buhari through spokesman Femi Adesina that said he will only probe Jonathan’s administration and won’t go pre-Jonathan’s era because he considers it to be “far past”? Didn’t Femi Adesina utter these words on July 22?
“He(Buhari) has said he will not waste time digging into the far past…the far past will includes Obasanjo and others. But the president has said he will not waste time to go that far.”
www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/187120-buhari-will-probe-jonathans-govt-only-not-obasanjos-others-presidency.html?utm_source=&utm_medium=twitter
Obasanjo left power on May 29, 2007 but will not be probed because he belongs to the “far past”, while Saraki is being prosecuted with all vigour for offence he allegedly committed in 2003. Which is farther between 2003 (Saraki) and 2007(Obasanjo)? Does that tell sincerity on the part of Buhari?
The Insincerity and Hypocrisy of Osinbajo and APC
It was a surprise that Alhaji Lai Muhammed and other APC chieftains joined the chorus to urge Saraki to appear before the Code of Conduct Tribunal to clear his name. People may be fooled into believing that these APC men means business. But do they?
When ex-CBN Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi was indicted for fraud by Financial Reporting Council in March 2014, instead of telling him to respond to the allegation, VP Yemi Osinbajo, Dr. Kanyinsola Ajayi and Kola Awodien approached the court in April 2014 to restrain the FRC, FG and other security agencies from investigating and prosecuting Sanusi. http://www.theguardianmobile.com/readNewsItem1.php?nid=24587. Their prayers were granted by FHC Judge John Tshoho on May 13, 2014. In the words of the Judge…
“The plaintiff submitting himself for investigation (by FRCN) is like the cockroach finding itself in the midst of fowls. Such a cockroach cannot be innocent,”
http://www.tv360nigeria.com/?p=11923
They shielded Sanusi and NEVER asked him to defend his allegations. Today Sanusi is a monarch.
When Atiku Abubakar was indicted by the Senate and the government of Obasanjo on allegation of financial misappropriation of PTDF fund in 2006/2007 (www.saharareporters.com/2007/02/28/breaking-news-ptdf-scandal-senate-indicts-obj-atiku-impeachment-motion-looms), didn’t Lai Muhammed the spokesman of AC(as at 2006) defended him and cried witch-hunt while forgeting issues? Didn’t they go ahead to give Atiku the AC flag for 2007 Presidential election? Was Garba Shehu not Atiku’s spokesman as at then? Why didn’t they tell him to face the allegation? Who is fooling who?
The same Lai Muhammed as spokesman of ACN cried that the FG wanted to use the Code of Conduct Tribunal to silent Tinubu when they arraigned him in 2012. In fact, ALL ACN Governors abandoned governance in their states to accompany “Jagaban” to Abuja all through the trial. When did these men turn anticorruption apostles?
Before Murtala Nyako was impeached in July 2014 on allegation of Corruption, APC Governors, Chieftains and even Chairman Oyegun did not talk about the offence but were accusing Jonathan of witch-hunt. In fact John Oyegun said this
“What was Nyako impeached for? Offences he allegedly committed five years ago. Those offences were not impeachable when he was in the Peoples Democratic Party. But the moment he defected to the APC, they became impeachable.” www.punchng.com/news/apc-jonathan-desperate-behind-nyakos-removal/
Take a look at them boldened, the same people are telling Saraki to answer to 2003 offence. Is that not hypocrisy? Pa Audu Abubakar is currently facing charges that borders on corruption, but the APC never told him to face his offence. Instead, they rewarded him with party ticket for Kogi Gov’ship poll.
Be not be deceived into believing that the APC and Buhari are ready to fight corruption. Senator Saraki is being prosecuted because APC and Buhari want to seek political vendetta. If Saraki was their ally, he won’t be prosecuted.
Finally, Saraki MUST answer to his offence before the Code of Conduct tribunal but President Buhari and the All Progressive Congress must understand that Nigerians see through their insincerity, deception and hypocrisy.
May God Bless Us All