Date: 2013-02-07

The Ilorin elders challenging the purported sale of the Old Ilorin (Yidi) Praying Ground have told Senator Bukola Saraki that the only place to clear the name of his wife, Mrs. Toyin Saraki, over the matter is in the law court and not on the pages of newspapers.

They also described as misplaced and an attempt to "deceive the public" Saraki's claim that his wife was "wrongfully and mischievously" joined as a defendant in the suit, insisting that Saraki’s comment amounted to him arrogating to himself the powers of a judge who should determine whether or not Mrs. Saraki was genuinely joined.

The elders, who included Dr Saliu Ajibola Ajia, Dr Saad Omoiya and Alhaji Saleh Duro Garba, spoke in a joint statement issued in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital. They are the plaintiffs in the suit recently filed before an Ilorin High Court in which Mrs Saraki, amongst others, is alleged to have benefitted from the alleged sale of the land.

"We wish to make clear to Saraki that the only place to exonerate his wife is in the law court and not on the pages of newspapers. Besides, we believe that Mrs Saraki should speak for herself as an individual who can sue and be sued, instead of Dr. Saraki becoming her spokesman," the statement said.

"As law-abiding citizens we have submitted our grievances for the court to determine. By saying his wife was wrongfully joined as a defendant in the suit, Dr Saraki was arrogating to himself the powers of a judge who would determine whether somebody was rightfully joined in a suit or not. He was also constituting himself to be the plaintiff who has the prerogative to decide who he deems appropriate to be the defendant in his preferred legal case. Worst still, his comments are targeted at deceiving the public and whipping up sentiments.

"We recall that the last time Saraki claimed he had a court injunction restraining the police from arresting or questioning him the claim turned out to be false as the court, quoted in newspaper reports of April 25, 2012 and April 26, 2012, denied ever granting him any such injunction. That incident provides a template upon which Saraki's latest comments on a court case could be weighed.

"We therefore urge the public to ignore Saraki's subjudice comment and instead await the position of the court on the matter which, expectedly, has drawn the attention of the whole Ilorin community whose ancestral land we fear is being cornered unjustly by some persons."

The elders also challenged Saraki to tell the public whether the developmental projects he attributed to his wife's philanthropy as the First Lady (2003-2011) were done with her personal funds or public funds.

The statement added: "If the former is true then the community is indeed grateful to her for the philanthropy. But if the latter was the case, we request Saraki in the spirit of the Freedom of Information Act and in the interest of the public to disclose how much of public funds went into each of those projects and whether such funds got the approval of House of Assembly through appropriation."

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