Date: 2018-05-31

The chairman of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party , (nPDP), Alh Abubakar Kawu Baraje,has clarified that the group never requested for the stoppage of Senate President Bukola Saraki's trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal(CCT) during their meeting with Vice President Yemi Osibajo.

Baraje in a statement issued in Ilorin, Kwara state yesterday described as 'blasphemy' a newspaper and online report that part of the requests of his group was the stoppage of the on going trial of Saraki at the Code of Conduct Tribunal(CCT).

Describing the reports as a flagrant lie, total blasphemy and far from the truth, Baraje disclosed that "/ nothing of that nature was part of the issues raised or discussed at the meeting the group held on Monday with the Vice President at the Presidential Villa , Abuja".

He emphasised that "there was no mention of anybody's case talk less of the Senate President, Dr Saraki at the said meeting .

"I want to warn that if this is the way we want to handle the issue by creating bad blood against our group , through the media, it will not augur well for them and we are therefore warning that blasphemy and arrant lies cannot resolve the matter at hand.

"I want to also disclose that at the last meeting, the Vice President requested and appealed to us that we should all keep our mouth shut until we reach the final stuck , that's why we are not talking to the press.

"If the media houses concerned do not stop this blasphemy, particularly, The Nation Newspaper , this issue will be very difficult to solve and the group or myself as a person is ready to take any news media to court for blasphemy".

Alhaji Baraje also described as untrue an online publication which claimed that he is occupying a juicy position at a parastatal, declaring that he had never occupied any position in any board under the present administration.

" I have been existing and living in accordance with my own legal means for the past three years and I'm not complaining. The complaint we are raising is that all the issues we raised when we left PDP are now resurfacing, particularly lack of of respect for the rule of law , and that there is total anarchy; that the government does things as it likes against anybody which was happening in PDP when we left."

Baraje explained that the group was not fighting for its members or for the selfish interest of some individuals among them but rather for members of the public, warning people against turning their agitation to a personal fight but that of the Nigerian masses.

" For the avoidance of doubt, our group is fighting for good governance and we are against anarchy and arrogance. We are also concerned about the poor state of our economy where an average Nigerian is hungry and government seems to be doing nothing and we are also fighting against insecurity where lives and property of Nigerians are in jeopardy.

" But if a section of the media is trying to make it( our struggle) personal and want to see it as if we are fighting for our own sake, it will not augur well for the peace of the All Progressives Congress (APC).