A political group, Maja
Progressives Union (MPU) yesterday criticised a leader of the All Progressive
Congress (APC) and former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu over what
it called unfair verbal attacks on the person of the Senate President, Bukola
Saraki.
At a press briefing in Ilorin,
the MPU alleged that Saraki, “born into politics, remained an astute politician
who rose to political stardom without any godfather deserves some measures of
respects from Tinubu.”
Tinubu drew the ire of the group
over his alleged comments yesterday in some national dailies on Saraki that the
Senate President was chameleonic in his attitude since crossing over from the
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.
According to the spokesman of the
group, Alhaji Kayode Yusuf, Saraki had led the entire people of Kwara to the
APC “not because of Tinubu but because of the antecedents of President
Muhammadu Buhari.”
Yusuf who attempted a comparison
between Saraki and Tinubu said the Senate President “is not a pretending ethnic
chauvinist but a true Nigerian. We rallied round him during the last general
elections in Kwara because of Buhari. Saraki used his influence and good will
to win for the APC the entire elective posts in the state during the polls and
therefore should not be called names.
“He is our political leader in
Kwara. He is acceptable to us all. But Tinubu cannot call himself the leader of
the Yoruba today. We went into all these to show the world that Saraki is
always committed to whatever course he lays his hand on, including the APC. The
party was not solely formed by Tinubu but by many people from different
ideological backgrounds.”
The MPU leader while recalling
the political style of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, said that the late
Yoruba leader displayed an all inclusive political style among all his people
and associates, the development he said also
“exists till date in Kwara under Saraki.”
He added, “we have observed that
Tinubu, unlike Awolowo sees himself as a boss and not a leader. Even the great
Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello, played his political game as a leader and
not a boss. This was the attribute the late biological father of the Senate
President (Olusola Saraki) left for us in Kwara and that is what his son is
building on. We urge Tinubu to follow suit.”
Yusuf said, Saraki with his
alleged populist ideology “would not take returns from any serving elected
political office holders unlike what some political godfathers always do. We
are Saraki’s loyalists and we can boldly tell the whole world that we are all
committed members of the APC. APC is indeed our party.
“Tinubu fondly called the Lion of
Bourdillion, should not challenge Saraki over issues that bother on party
loyalty. Afterall we are aware of what some people are trying to do here in
Kwara by sponsoring some members of opposition PDP against the ruling party
APC. Tinubu should also remember that if he fights Saraki, he is fighting the
entire people of Ilorin who have no absolute trust in anything but powers of
God.”
Describing Tinubu as “a
respectable man” in the society, the MPU leader urged him not to allow “the
loving people of Ilorin” to see him as the enemy of their leader, “because
anyone fighting Saraki is contending with all the people of Ilorin and even
Kwara State as a whole.
“Tinubu is a respected elderly
man in the society. We implore him therefore not to drag his name in the mud.
Saraki, who they are now alleging not to be a loyal APC member, won for the
party in Kwara in the last elections, the entire 193 councillorship seats, the
entire 24 House of Assembly slots, all the seats of the 16 Local Government
Areas (LGAs) chairmen, swept the whole six seats of the House of
Representatives, and churned out the three Senators, representing the state at
the Upper Chamber of the Legislative arm of government. Who else has these
credentials within the party?”
He advised Tinubu to recall all
the accolades he had bestowed on the Senate President during the APC campaign
rallies in Ilorin, noting, “Saraki still remains the same loyalist of a
progressive change in the nation’s political arena and to paint him otherwise
will be unjust.”
Credit: Guardian
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