Atiku supported Saraki to be senate president, says Dogara

Date: 2017-12-12

Yakubu Dogara, speaker of the house of representatives, says former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar "solidly" backed Bukola Saraki's bid to be Senate president in 2015 — despite strong opposition from the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), apparently including President Muhammadu Buhari.

Dogara himself was not supported to be speaker by the party hierarchy, but he braved all opposition - including that from Bola Tinubu, a respected leader of APC — and went on to defeat the favoured Femi Gbajabiamila in a tight contest.

Ahmed Lawan was the choice of the APC leadership for Senate President.

Saraki, Dogara and Atiku all moved from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2014 after the then-ruling party was internally fractured.

In his biography, 'A Reed Made Flint', authored by Ovation publisher, Dele Momodu, Dogara provided more insight into the politics that ushered in the President Muhammadu Buhari administration in May 2015.

The biography, made available to only TheCable, is due for public presentation on December 26, 2017, to mark the 5oth birthday of the speaker.

Dogara told the author: "There was this particular time we were meeting with our leader in the North-East, His Excellency Atiku Abubakar at his residence. Our governor (Mohammed Abubakar) had come into town and some of our stakeholders in APC Bauchi had gone to see Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Somehow, Asiwaju (Bola Tinubu) and one other person walked into that meeting and he did not waste time in pushing his Gbajabiamila agenda forward.

"He spoke passionately about the role he had played in APC, the way he had built bridges between the South-West and the North and he appealed to my brothers and sisters who were there, all the political leaders and stakeholders of APC from my state to prevail on me to stop this race and support his candidate Femi Gbajabiamila to become Speaker. After he had spoken, he left.

"If I don't say this to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar's credit I will not be fair to him. It will amount to travesty. At the time when most leaders in the APC were not showing sympathy to our cause, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar came out as one solid voice in support of both the candidature of the now Senate President (Bukola Saraki) and my humble self.

"He said the North-East must have a position and it was his duty as a leader from the North-East to support that goal. And more so, because of the religious demography of Nigeria, there was the need to have a Northern minority Christian in government as that would help to smoothen religious engagement and relationship in the North and put paid to the insinuation that APC was just a Muslim party."

While Dogara started his speakership on a relatively smooth note, Saraki was charged before the code of conduct tribunal over allegations of false declaration of assets while he was governor of Kwara state from 2003-2007.

Atiku recently returned to the PDP, where he is expected to contest for the presidential ticket ahead of a potential battle with Buhari in 2019.

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Abubakar Abdulraheem     Yakub Ali-Agan     IDPU     Al-Adaby     Temi Kolawole     Ajasse-Ipo     Gbugbu International Market     Abioye Bello     Mukhtar Shagaya     Ibrahim Abduquadri Abikan     Bello Bature     Alapansapa     Suleiman Ajadi     Amada Jidda     Adedeji Onimago     Magaji Nda     Kisra     Abdulrasheed Lafia     Kawu Baraje     Saka Balikis Kehinde     Raheem Adaramaja     Nigeria Foundation For Artificial Intelligence     Sobi Hill     Ahmad Lawan     National Information Technology Development Agency     Wasiu Odewale     IFK     Federal Road Maintenance Agency     International Aviation College     Rasaq Jimoh     Dan Iya     Iyabo Dupe Adekeye     Alliance For Democracy     Musa Aibinu     Femi Ogunsola     Twitter     Peter Amogbonjaye     NFAI     Simeon Sayomi     Ibraheem Abdullateef     Doyin Agbamu     Mohammed Ghali Alaaya     Olabode George Towoju     Kwara State Polytechnic     Bello John Olanrewaju     Okedare     Saidu Kawu     Markaz Arabic And Islamic Training Institute, Agege     Olanrewju Okanlawon Musa     Harmony Holdings     Idowu Laro     Mohammed Saidu     Obayomi Azeez     Tope Daramola     Adebayo Salami     Akanbi-Oke     Makama Of Ilorin     Michael Ologundea     Amuda Musbau     Kwara Poly     Egbejila     Kayode Laro     Lai Gobir     Wahab Femi Agbaje     Tafida     Olabimpe Olani     Saliu Ajibola Ajia     CKNG     Oyelere Oyinloye     Sanusi Abubakar     Illyasu Abdullahi     Buhari     Oloye     Abdulazeez Uthman     Third Estate     Ojuekun     Moremi High School    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Shettima Of Ilorin     Ilorin.Info     Bio Ibrahim     CCB     Lasiele Alabi Yahaya     Oke-Ogun     Ilesha Gwanara Road     Abubakar Olusola Saraki     ER-KANG Mining     Apaokagi     Kehinde Baale     Facemasks     Royal FM     SWAN     Dauda Adeniran Adeshola     Babaloja-General     Bureau Of Lands     IEDPU     Kwara Coalition Of Business And Professional Associations     Mahmud Ajeigbe     Sa\'adu Gambari     Bashiru Makama     BIR     Neo Mundo Ltd     Tsaragi     Ajibola Saliu Ajia     Mohammed Lawal     Aliyu Alhassan     Yusuf Amuda Aluko     Ahmad Olayiwola Kamaldeen     Tunji Folami     Femi Ogunsola     Yusuf AbdulRasheed     Ilorin Airport     Rotimi Oyedepo     Funmilayo Oniwa     Niyi Osundare     Sardauna Of Ilorin     John Olobayo     Folorunsho Erubu     Balogun Gambari     Iyaloja-General     Bola Shagaya     Olatunji Ayeni     Alaiye     Jide Ashonibare     Seun Bolaji     Wale Oladepo     Raimi Iyanda     Imam Gambari     Adijat Adebiyi     Sulyman Tejidini     Sheikh Ridhwanullah     Bolakale Kawu Agaka     Joana Nnazua Kolo     Ado Bayero     Col. Taiwo     Raji AbdulRasaq     Busari Alabi Alausa     Students Union Government     Dele Momodu     Trader Moni     Iyiola Oyedepo     Senate     Ogidi-Oloje     Micheal Imodu-Ganmo Road     Markaz Arabic And Islamic Training Institute, Agege     Owu Fall     Tunde Saad     Abiodun Oyedepo     Kolade Solagberu     Ilorin Central Mosque     Lola Olabayo     Lateef Ademola Olatunji     Elerin Of Adanla Irese     Seni Saraki     Emir Of Lafiagi