Date: 2016-10-08

Reactions have continued to trail Friday's withdrawal by the federal government of criminal charges against the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, and two former senior bureaucrats of the National Assembly. Former Vice President and a chieftain of the governing All Progressives Congress, APC, Atiku Abubakar, described the development as "a wise and timely move"; while Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, said it was "proper, necessary and timely".

On his part, Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Timi Frank, commended President Muhammadu Buhari for "choosing to act in national interest" instead of allowing political vendetta in the alleged forgery case.

All three chieftains of the APC spoke via statements issued by their spokespersons, shortly after the curtains fell on the suit at the Federal High Court in Jabi, Abuja.

The Kwara Governor, in a statement signed by his spokesperson, Abdulwahab Oba, said "the withdrawal provides a vista of opportunity for national cohesion and a platform for synergy between the executive and the legislative arms of government."

Mr. Ahmed, who succeeded Mr. Saraki in 2011 as governor, is a long time ally of the senate president. Speaking in the same vein, Mr. Frank said the Senate leadership seems to have been distracted as a result of the "politically motivated case by some interests that were not comfortable" with the emergence of Messrs. Saraki and Ekweremadu as Senate leaders.

He however, went ahead to advise the federal government to "go ahead and fully withdraw even the case against the Senate President ongoing at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT)".

Mr. Frank urged the APC to use the opportunity provided by the withdrawal "to settle all the differences and come out again as a strong and united governing party in the interest of Nigerians and the nation."

In the statement by the Media Office of the former Vice President, Mr. Abubakar said the move by the Federal Government was an indication that President Buhari values the Wmuch-needed cordial relationship between the Executive and Legislature" and would take steps to ensure that it remains harmonious in the interest of the nation, and the advancement of Nigerian democracy.

The former vice president said it is only in a situation of harmonious, cordial and corporative relationship between the three arms of government that real progress and development can take place in the polity.

Arguing that all hands need to be mobilized to tackle the current economic difficulties in the country, and get the nation out of economic recession, the former Vice President stated that both the Executive and Legislature need to come together to find solutions to the current economic recession by eliminating all issues that promote strife and mistrust.

Mr. Abubakar said political crisis does 'little or no good' in a democracy. He advised all individuals and political forces in the country that still have issues to come together and resolve their differences for the good of the nation and the APC.

He also urged the National Assembly to reciprocate the spirit behind the resolution of the impasse by stepping up its collaborative efforts with the Executive in fixing the nation’s broken economy and infrastructure.