THE Peoples Democratic Party has said that the Senate president, Bukola Saraki, is fit for the office he is occupying; hence it is not considering any candidate to replace him.

The PDP denied reports that it was already looking for a senator from the opposition party to replace Saraki, who is currently under pressure to resign from office following his trial for false asset declaration by the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

Nigeria’s two main labour unions–Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress – on Saturday demanded Saraki’s resignation on moral grounds consequent upon his trial at the CCT.

The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, who spoke to our correspondent on Sunday, said the party still believed that the trial of Saraki was political and that the PDP would not think of abandoning the Senate president until it sees the merit of the case.

Metuh said, “We have no candidate for the office of the Senate President, because we have a fit person occupying the position for now.

“We are behind him and we can’t abandon him just because he is undergoing trial. Anybody can be put on trial, but the question we should ask is whether the trial is political or not.

“Does the trial have merit? When we see the merit of the case, we will take position. But for now, there is nothing like that.”

Saraki, a former governor of Kwara State, is currently facing a 13-count charge of making false declaration as a governor between 20013 and 2011.

Since his arraignment before the tribunal, there had been speculations that the PDP, which produced Saraki’s deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, had been scheming to replace him with one of its senators.

Among those being touted as possible replacements for Saraki are Ekweremadu; a former Senate President, David Mark; and a former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio.

Saraki had defied the directive of his party, the All Progressives Congress, and had clinched the Senate presidency with the backing of senators of the PDP, his former party.

The APC has 59 senators while the PDP has 49 but the Senate inauguration and election took place on June 9 while about 50 APC senators were waiting for a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari outside the National Assembly.

But while the APC senators have been divided from inception of the eighth Senate, all the 49 PDP senators have been united.

The PDP senators have been the main backers of Saraki since his assumption of office as the Senate president.

Metuh said it was too early for the party to be talking with its members in the Senate or thinking of abandoning the Senate president.

He said the PDP was still of the opinion that Saraki was being prosecuted because of his political belief.

The opposition spokesman said, “We are not even thinking of replacement for Saraki for now. The National Assembly is a separate arm of the government just like the judiciary and the executive.

“Is anyone thinking that there would be leadership change in the executive and the judiciary?

“Are they not independent of the other? What we are interested in is that all the three arms of government must be allowed to function independently of the other. We are saying there shouldn’t be any interference.”

When he was reminded that the leadership of both the executive and the judiciary are not on trial for any crime, Metuh said that “trial doesn’t amount to conviction.”

talk2omon:
I never knew Saraki was a PDP member....Lolz

tyson99:
Dead party

luche90:

LASTMA TOUT learn to read. Where in his statement did the publicity secretary indicate that SARAKI is a PDP member. MUMU!

christinie:
Mature party, unlike childish APC.

luche90:
All for one and one for all. This is how democracy is practiced, unlike the LEAGUE OF BASTARDS called the APC. Anyone who has a problem with Metuh's democratic statement has a problem with his father, who is nothing but a BASTARD.

989900:
Saraki=mole.

@Metuh: Questions you should be asking are:

Is your man literate?

Did your man fill and submit those forms?

rusher14:
Olisa Metuh come on now.

The question that should be asked is if it is political?

Really??

Not whether he is guilty?

Is this your party's stance or your personal opinion?

If this is the Party’s stance then it's little wonder you are now the opposition.

You are free to stand behind any candidate of your choice but it says a lot about your ethics and morals as a party when guilt is thrown to the dogs.

If this is your cloak and dagger response as you plan to occupy the leadership of the house through subterranean maneuvering, then we'll see how it pans out.

All in all, sad commentary from a party spokesperson.

PEREP:


Who is not guilty of them all? How did a man without aa house in Abuja before election now have one after he became President? Is it possible to walk without your head shaking (knowingly or unknowinglly)?

Like Saraki said the obvious, 'I am standing trial because I am the Senate President' Where then is the freedom to realize dreams in the New Nigeria promised by the APC?

rusher14:


Who said he had no house in Abuja before the elections?

That we read gossip online articles doesn't make the news gospel.

By the way, what matters is what you include in your CCB forms.

Anyone can say anything until documentation becomes imperative.

Perhaps you are right, Saraki may have lived beyond the Radar had he laid his head low. However , he refused to and decided to be in the limelight.

With the limelight comes scrutiny and there, he appears to have failed woefully.

He has not even had the courage to repudiate the charges before him. That says a lot.

Those that are goading him on are not telling him about the potential jail time if he refuses to tap out.

No clemency and no likelihood of presidential pardon.

Bode George might be useful this moment in time.

PEREP:


It is deceit to run an election where you know information given to Nigerians are wrong and you simply look away because it is to your favour. Infact, it is a deliberate Corrupt practise.

In some developed world which APC painted to be their model for Nigeria, such President would have come under heavy hammer.