Ruth Choji

Sen Abubakar Sodangi represented Nassarawa west from 1999-2011 and in this exclusive interview with Ruth Choji, the legal practitioner stated that, the relationship between Sen Saraki as the senate president and Sen Ekweremadu as his deputy is a marriage of convenience which he doesn’t think can be sustained. The former chairman of committee on FCT also said that those who will suffer more are the APC, Nigerians and Mr President.

Knowing how formidable PDP senators are, is there anything the APC can do without the PDP?

As a party man, the people that will suffer more are the APC, Nigerians and Mr President. Every party comes with its policies and s and they sold it to Nigerians. They will revisit our laws that will suit that party. There are resolutions that will be passed for the executive to implement that the two main parties will have to have their say and if one disagrees, it could be a problem. Definitely the APC will want to do what the president will be pleased with but the PDP might think otherwise. The PDP can even stop the budget form being passed if it doesn’t not reflect what their party believes in. The solution lies with the party and with the senate. They know how to solve this issue and can do it if they desire. There must be give and take. It is either Saraki agrees and does what his party wants him to do at any given time and retain his seat or the PDP will insist that our deputy president must remain because they have the numbers to sustain him. So if this issue is not tackled quickly, the senate will continue the way it is going at the detriment of the national interest. This marriage of convenience might not last.



Do you also share the views that the Saraki travails is because of the 2019 presidential election?

I respect Saraki as a person and I said he is able qualify to even hold the seat of the presidency. There have been speculation because some people are seeing his present position as a bridge between the senate presidency and the seat of the presidency and because of that, some politicians, who are there in the APC with him, are using this to throw stones at him. But I don’t know whether that is correct because whatever God has willed will be so. But you cannot also shy away from reality that in politics, anything goes.

Some people can throw all manner of things at you and if it is true, then these people have started throwing these things at him. But if they said they will try that matter, three things are likely to happen. If it is found that those things don’t belong to him, then they will automatically become government properties. If the allegation that he owns it and did not declare them is found to be true, they could fine him or send him to jail for some time or bar him from holding elective positions. If it is true, this could be very dangerous for the ambition of the senate president. So those who are after you as a politician can be ungodly, they can go all the way to destroy you. I pray that they will find a ‘political solution’ to the problem before it gets to that. These are my personal views and I pray that there will be a political solution to all this and that the APC will play its role and talk to their caucus in the senate so that we don’t continue to embarrass ourselves.



Still on the senate, chairmanship positions were shared recently and some of them rejected it, even in the house of reps, we had the same problem. Has this happened before?

If you remember when the senate president was brought in, there was an allegation and I want to believe it remains an obligation, which says the rules of the house were altered a night before the coming of the senate leadership. The police also investigated the case. If it was done, it is wrong, it is a crime. As a lawyer, I know that in as much as we have a right to amend our constitution by removing the word ‘shall’ or without recourse to the whole senate, nobody has the right to touch a work without the whole senate agreeing on it. They were supposed to debate on it before it was amended. Certain rules were removed and some senators felt aggrieved and they raised alarm. It never happened during our time even though we amended our rules about three times. You are also not supposed to constitute a committee without recourse to the selection committee who have the right to say this, based on so and so reason, we are increasing the committee from so numbers to so numbers. They would now bring it to the senate floor and the senate president that has the absolute power to appoint committee chairmen would do so. So the people are challenging the order of the rules. So if you look at what is being played out now in the senate, there is a serious legislative and constitution matter now that is being hammered and unless it is resolved, we will not see the end of this matter. We have to know whether the senate committees were increased without following the rules of the senate. Because that is the contemplation.



Why did you resign from the PDP?

I had never thought that I would leave the PDP for one day, because I have come of age. I am 60years old now and so I thought the younger ones should follow our footsteps by being steadfast. I had the rare privilege of serving my people for three terms in the senate. I have invested in the PDP. I am one of those people with our former governor, Abdullahi Abdul who brought PDP to Nassarawa State. I have built units for the people with PDP logo, even the chairs are padded with PDP logo. I have built bus stops for PDP in my constituency. But I just couldn’t take the impunity anymore…

But most Nigerians thought the impunity had gone when they PDP lost the presidential elections

It never went away. It came too late. It started when President Jonathan came on board. I want you to know that president Jonathan could have won the primaries free and square, but they wouldn’t let anybody contest with him. Even those who insisted and went to court had to give way because of threats and cohesion. But the APC PRIMARIEs went well. Nobody ever thought Buhari could win because of the money bags that contested the primaries with him. He had told the world he had no money yet Nigerians contributed and made him president. They had a symbolic primaries in Lagos and everybody saw what happened. But in our case, they said it must be Jonathan only at the eagle square. That is even an abuse on our party constitution. This happened because some people were making heavy money from Mr President then. In our own case, every one that emerged as governor was from impunity, the delegates’ list were locked up in their offices, and he decides who would vote at the primaries. In my Senatorial district, one big man came and said, they would pick the people that would be delegates to avoid rancour but the people wanted it to be free and fair. So the people voted against PDP and now they said I did anti-party by asking people to vote Tanko against PDP.

When the big people in Abuja were supporting the APGA candidate with money and we were left empty, how do you expect the PDP to win when we weren’t given any support from the national? Since then, they stopped inviting me to meetings, they stopped including me in anything they are doing in the state and the federal level. Concerning the state secretariat, I contributed five million naira when it was being constructed while other senators were giving #2.5m. I know what I have done for the PDP. My people are not happy. Yet they stopped inviting me to meetings there because they said I did anti-party. When the local government chairman collected our moneys and refused to share it with the people, they didn’t say we were doing anti-party. So I felt since they didn’t value me again, I would resign which I have done already. I have given the letter to the party chairman and copied the necessary people.

But most people attribute your resignation to ambition to contest the gubernatorial seat under the APC in 2019

I am not nursing the ambition to contest for the governorship of Nassarawa State. I know that Governor Almakura is running his second term. I know that Aliyu Akwai Doma did only four years and he allowed himself to be defeated by the divine will of God and negligence. I know the people, of Akwanga have been agitating to have a slot. If Naassarawa west that has a large chunk of votes in whichever party, say they want to field a candidate, lafiya cannot stop them. If they want to get a collaboration from lafiya and the rest, then it will be better. But I have no aspiration to contest the governorship. People from the APC who are aspiring for the seat are becoming afraid, but I have never prayed about it neither have I thought about it. I want to be the John F Kennedy that spent fourty something years in the senate.



Are you worried at the way politicians are defecting to the ruling party, APC

Of course I am worried. Look at the impunity in the PDP that has engulfed them and now they are saying they want to rebrand. What will they rebrand? I am happy that the PDP are regretting their past misdeeds, for thinking they can play God. They couldn’t even carry along the youth. I hope they will get a young man who will have the acceptability of the whole country, one who will have the acceptability of the president. The PDP have not done much in bringing somebody that can match the president in transparency and accountability. If the PDP are serious, let them start with the few states where they will be having elections soon.



Do you think the APC will be different from the PDP?

What I see happening in the APC is disturbing because there is no cohesion at the national level of the party by the followers. Oyegun is a nationalist I respect but he must put his house in order. The leadership of the party must be firm and exertive. They must stamp their authority and put their house in order. I hope they will not make the same mistake the PDP made by allowing impunity to take over the party.


http://leadership.ng/features/476243/saraki-and-ekweremadus-marriage-of-convenience-might-not-last-sen-sodangi

Only time will tell

Thatz y u pple are fighting tooth and nail to eliminate Ekwerenmadu.

I dnt knw y dis so called "change" agent ar violent prone

We ar watching

HungerBAD:

But most Nigerians thought the impunity had gone when they PDP lost the presidential elections
It never went away. It came too late. It started when President Jonathan came on board. I want you to know that president Jonathan could have won the primaries free and square, but they wouldn’t let anybody contest with him. Even those who insisted and went to court had to give way because of threats and cohesion. But the APC primaries went well. Nobody ever thought Buhari could win because of the money bags that contested the primaries with him. He had told the world he had no money yet Nigerians contributed and made him president.

They had a symbolic primaries in Lagos and everybody saw what happened. But in our case, they said it must be Jonathan only at the eagle square. That is even an abuse on our party constitution. This happened because some people were making heavy money from Mr President then.

Enough said. This was PDP's death blow that, it seems, they're unable to survive.
The official funeral starts with the battle for the next party chairmanship seat.

why not allow the prove it instead of trying to eliminate them? Frustration?

may those of you who voted for the evil broom party continue to suffer for action and misdeed

Rawani:


Enough said, this was PDP's death blow that it seems they're unable to survive. The official funeral starts with the battle for the next party chairmanship seat.

True.

Redoil:
may those of you who voted for the evil broom party continue to suffer for action and misdeed

As it is, it seems you wailers are the ones suffering from your sudden inconsequence and lack of relevance.

i go read this long thing as if e go put food to my table. .
Fire de do press up for you


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Is Sen Sodangi just seeing the handwriting on the wall?

Why you think so? [size=40pt]Check my signature[/size]

Ok

g

Damn too long and epistle.

Collabo gone wrong?
Saraki is a player

Wetyn concern you, Elenu Oshi

well, am representing those pple dt won't comment if it won't make front page. . like my comment if u r among

Bad belly senator

At least there is a marriage. Let's savour that for now.

We are watching

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At least there is a marriage because the APC is not a party but a terror group. Let's savour that for now.

observing

End time interview

4reala:
Thatz y u pple are fighting tooth and nail to eliminate Ekwerenmadu.

I dnt knw y dis so called "change" agent ar violent prone

Nobody is trying to kill Ekweremadu. Igbos are patological liars..................If there is attempt to kill Ekweremadu, then its Biafra agitators. They hate their politicians the same way they hate Nigerians.

hmmm

Rawani:


As it is, it seems you wailers are the ones suffering from your sudden inconsequence and lack of relevance.

true talk

No one can drive us crazy unless we give them the keys.

theshield:


Nobody is trying to kill Ekweremadu. Igbos are patological liars..................If there is attempt to kill Ekweremadu, then its Biafra agitators. They hate their politicians the say way they hate Nigerians.

You cannot even make a complete sentence without grammatical errors. Uneducated baboon.

Do you also share the views that the Saraki travails is because of the 2019 presidential election?

I respect Saraki as a person and I said he is able qualify to even hold the seat of the presidency. There have been speculation because some people are seeing his present position as a bridge between the senate presidency and the seat of the presidency and because of that, some politicians, who are there in the APC with him, are using this to throw stones at him. But I don’t know whether that is correct because whatever God has willed will be so. But you cannot also shy away from reality that in politics, anything goes.

Some people can throw all manner of things at you and if it is true, then these people have started throwing these things at him. But if they said they will try that matter, three things are likely to happen. If it is found that those things don’t belong to him, then they will automatically become government properties. If the allegation that he owns it and did not declare them is found to be true, they could fine him or send him to jail for some time or bar him from holding elective positions. If it is true, this could be very dangerous for the ambition of the senate president. So those who are after you as a politician can be ungodly, they can go all the way to destroy you. I pray that they will find a ‘political solution’ to the problem before it gets to that. These are my personal views and I pray that there will be a political solution to all this and that the APC will play its role and talk to their caucus in the senate so that we don’t continue to embarrass ourselves.


http://leadership.ng/features/476243/saraki-and-ekweremadus-marriage-of-convenience-might-not-last-sen-sodangi

The same tactic Saraki used to get the Senate Presidency seat is the same tactic his enemies are using to unseat him. He should not complain.
All is fair in war!!