Last month, Danladi Umar, the CCT chairman issued a bench warrant for Senator Saraki’s arrest for failing to appear in court in his ongoing trial for alleged false asset declaration. Senator Saraki had been asked to appear to answer a 13-count charge of corruption, which had been levelled against him regarding his asset declaration.
Today, the trial resumes and Senator Saraki faces the prospect of being jailed over the false declaration of assets while he was Kwara State governor. His appearance at the tribunal has led to the postponement of the ministerial screening exercise current taking place in the senate.
However, it appears that Senator Saraki has been offered a deal under which he will be allowed to get away with the CCT charge if he steps down as senate president. With the trial set to resume today at the CCT, a fresh proposition has been placed before Senator Saraki that could pave the way for a soft landing if he will toe the party line.
In a backroom deal being brokered by the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the senate president is being offered a political solution to his trial. Should he accept it, this may pave the way for the emergence of Senator Ahmad Lawan as the new senate president and Senator George Akume as his deputy.
One senator said that the proposal had been made to Senator Saraki as the only condition for him being let off at the tribunal. He added that while the deputy majority leader, Senator Ibn Na’Allah, had agreed to step down provided he is given a Grade A committee of his choice to chair, majority leader, Ali Ndume, has rejected the proposal.
Yesterday, senator Saraki and House of Representatives speaker Yakubu Dogara held a marathon meeting over the proposal. It is believed that senator Lawan has been intimated of Senator Saraki’s readiness to announce him as the new senate president.
APC national chairman Chief John Oyegun, had on June 24 written separate letters to Senator Saraki and Hon Dogara, listing the names of the party’s choices for various principal posts in their respective chambers. While Hon Dogara succumbed to pressure and kept faith with the party’s choices, Senator Saraki’s allies in the senate adamantly refused to accept APC’s demands, leading to his further ostracisation.
In the letter to Senator Saraki, Chief Oyegun had named Senator Lawan as majority leader, Professor Sola Adeyeye as chief whip, Senator George Akume as deputy majority leader and Senator Abu Ibrahim as deputy chief whip. However, Senator Saraki named Ndume as senate leader, Na’allah his deputy, Adeyeye as majority whip and Alimikhena as the deputy majority whip and his refusal to comply with the party’s request has been blamed for the charges brought against him.
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