Reports have it that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the five governors, who in late 2013 defected to the
All Progressives Congress from the Peoples Democratic Party had a hand in the victory of Senator Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara.
Saraki, an ex-governor of Kwara State had been elected as the new president of the Senate, while Dogara emerged speaker of the House of Representatives, yesterday, June 9, 2015.
According to This Day report, Atiku and the governors were not comfortable with the national leader of the APC, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his rising touted political wizadry so they decided to work against their party and ‘cut Tinubu to size.’
They were said to have used their influence to make Saraki emerge Senate president, stopping Ahmed Lawan, who is believed to to be Tinubu’s candidate.
Aliyu Wammako, former governor of Sokoto state reportedly used his successor, the new governor of the state, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, the immediate past Speaker of the House of Representatives, to reach out to returning House members to support Dogara in emerging the House of Representatives Speaker.
Few hours after the national leadership of the APC rejected Saraki and Dogara’s victory, Atiku issued a statement congratulating both men.
He stated that the eighth National Assembly as a partner in progress with the other arms of government should never lose the focus of its role. He also called on Dogara and Saraki to see their election beyond the narrow interests of respective parties.
The Lagos state chapter of the APC has called on the national leadership of the party to punish Saraki and Dogara, saying it was a sad development that Saraki could jump into bed with the Peoples Democratic Party in his desperation for power.
