There were indications on Thursday that the move by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, to settle the rift between the Presidency and the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, has failed to yield a positive result.

It was gathered that at the meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and Dogara on Monday in Abuja, the Presidency insisted that Saraki must sever his relationship with the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu.

Findings by The PUNCH showed that the development meant the removal of the Peoples Democratic Party legislator from Enugu State from the number five political office in the country.

It was gathered that removing Ekweremadu was reportedly viewed by The Presidency as one of the possible political solutions to the heat generated by the trial of Saraki by Code of Conduct Tribunal for a an alleged false declaration of assets.

However, Saraki is said not to be disposed to the idea, arguing that he would not betray his deputy.

“The view of the Presidency is that the arrangement in the Senate whereby a PDP senator is the deputy president in an All Progressives Congress Party-led government is a misnomer, which should not be allowed.

“If there is a political option, this is one; the arrangement is not right,” a senior National Assembly official informed The PUNCH.

Investigations showed that President Muhammadu Buhari and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, had met at the Aso Rock Villa on Monday.

Doagra reportedly conveyed the decision of the House to Buhari, informing him of the House resolution calling for a political solution to Saraki’s travails.

“The President did not like the arrangement in the Senate,” the source added.

It was gathered that on the part of the Senate President and Dogara, they considered altering the “balance of power” in the National Assembly, as presently constituted, as another signal for a major political crisis.

Another official explained further, “Both the PDP and the APC and other political parties participated in the election of the principal officers of the National Assembly.

“There are forces in place and there is no way this suggestion will fly. Removing Ekweremadu can only be by impeachment proceedings. It is not by a directive.

“For the House, there are concerns over whether such a suggestion will not rub off on its leadership as well,” the source stated.

The House, had in a resolution passed on Wednesday last week, asked Dogara to intervene in Saraki’s case by meeting with Buhari and the Senate President with a view to finding a political solution to the matter.

The move by the House came soon after the Code of Conduct Tribunal arraigned the Senate President over alleged false asset declaration.

The House had argued that a political solution could save the country the heat generated in the polity by Saraki’s trial at the CCT.

It also claimed that a matter affecting the National Assembly could indirectly be a threat to democracy.

The Chairman, House Ad hoc Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Sani Zoro, could be reached for comments on the outcome of the meeting between Buhari and Dogara.

http://www.punchng.com/news/dogara-fails-to-settle-saraki-presidency-rift/

Am sleeping for now.

**modified*

Now am awake.

Saraki shot himself in the foot for going into an alliance with pdp, thereby allotting the deputy S.P spot to Pdp.

He turned his back on his party's directive as well as the president's preference.

Now it's his turn. They have turned their backs on him. He has to reap what he has sown.

This piece is misleading! By 'rift' I'm sure Punch means 'that Dogara wanted the president to step into Saraki's trial and have the case buried. This was the norm a long time ago. It is non-existence in this administration. Saraki is innocent, and Nigerians would plead with the President that "rifts" between them be settled after his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal. BUT for now, let him go and confront his fears alone. PMB would not be the Deus ex machina in Saraki's ordeal.

We are observing.

Bukola is not to be blame for that. I thought the prsident say he domt want to intervan, y now

It will be settled after clearing the ministerial nominees. Hehehe. Nigelia


But no be them and Ike follow dey the meeting? E nor concern me sha

Ekweremadu has always been the clog in Saraki's wheel of progress, it is about being an Igbo man, but he's of PDP and so he should have no place in an APC controlled government, simple.

Hmmmm....saraki you see your life?...stubborness and over-mbition don let you misbehave...its well with Nigeria

Saraki either finds a way to drop Ekweremadu and toe the party line or both of them goes down together. There is really no two way about this.

This is why Saraki emergencies as Senate president was opposed initially by the APC Leaders. One thing I personally believe is that all Nigerian politician are corrupt but some are less corrupt, more corrupt and chronic corrupt. Saraki is a chronic unrepentant corrupt politician and the fears of him being charged to court by PDP to disgrace APC was the initial rejection of him as Senate President (unfortunately the charges came from/pushed by APC members).

Now they want to use their constitutional right to negotiate with the executive in order to secure protection for all their past corrupt activities, which was their initial motive of supporting Saraki for Senate President.

Buhari should clearly get this in clear statement that majority of Nigeria who voted him, vote for him because of his stand against corruption (as over 70% of vote cast for him are genuine Nigerian void of mass thumb printing or multiple voting unlike Jonathan's that have less than 50% of the valid vote cast for him genuine). Though one can only rigged where he/she is very popular. Buhari should not comprise his integrity just because of corrupt to-be Ministers.

Above all, I do not see how a Senate that the President is having pending corrupt related case in Court, Deputy Senate President with House Rule forgery cases hanging on his neck and several of his member has one case or the other, have the guts to be screening and considering corrupt related petitions of those to-be Ministers. This is just a joke of the 21st Century.

I pray that all these political crises should get quick solutions in the BEST RIGHT MEANS as this is affecting our dear country economic stability and investment opportunities.

Drama continues

H

Story for the gods

Are we still on this matter ?

Nigeria still have a lot of teething problems debilitating the nation.
More like the country is on auto-pilot.

The ministers should be appointed and let them get back to work and move this nation forward.
Enough of all these Saraki this, Saraki that... .

The country Lords.....
Watever......

Bukky is not fighting with anybody.... And baba is too mature to be beefing anybody

Pres: Osinbade, this dongoyaro and Sarakriminal I no serious o. Dem think say dem go fit use ministerial screening hold me down?

V.pres : maybe dem think say na Kindergarten President still dey office.

I support d motion. .

But I thought this was about the corruption allegation against Saraki? So all this was about the deputy senate President?

Fighting corruption indeed
Buhari sef

I find it unrealistic when people think Dogara can settle the dispute between the presesident and the SP.....I don't think he is up to the task

b

Guess Buharis body odor was so strong !







Mk dem fite die if dem like_i hate anything from d north!




Quoute me and jump into d lagoon

Orisirisi the poster above me is suffering from Buhariphobia, don't worry 2023 is still far before you can be healed from this body odour. Hope say the body odour no go kill you before then

B for Bobo!

irunooboo:
b

Too poor a write up.

Don't get it twisted anybody can settle anybody!

ki02020:
I find it unrealistic when people think Dogara can settle the dispute between the presesident and the SP.....I don't think he is up to the task

The picture looks like the presidency is laughing at the legislature

U for Umaga

eph12:
U

Commentless.