A chieftain of the new Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Kwara State Governor Bukola Saraki has said the party never asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to drop its investigation against him as one the conditions to reconcile with the Bamaga Tukur-led PDP.

The senator representing Kwara Central said no amount of intimidation, whether personal or political, would prevent him from standing up for the rights of the masses.

The former governor noted that "times are changing; the world is changing and Nigeria and the PDP must change accordingly".

Saraki said: "Nigeria, under the PDP, cannot stay as it has been. It must change. Otherwise, the people who elected us to serve them, the people we serve, will reject us as a party."

In a statement by his media aide, Bankole Omisore, the senator stressed that his group in the new PDP did not ask the EFCC to drop its probe against him.

The statement titled: "Dropping EFCC probe against me was never part of demands of NEW PDP."

Parts of the statement read: "The attention of Senator Saraki's office has been drawn to speculations in some media outlets that as part of the demands of the Kawu Baraje-led PDP for reconciliation with the President, that Senator Saraki, directly or indirectly, asked that EFCC be asked not to probe him.

"We would like to categorically put on record that this allegation is utterly false; at no time did Senator Saraki personally or through anyone else asked that the EFCC be influenced to stop any investigation about him.

"As a law-abiding citizen, who has served his state and country, as a former governor of Kwara State, as the former Chairman of the Nigeria Governors' Forum and today as a Senator, Dr Saraki believes firmly in the rule of law and open democratic accountability.

"That is why under his governorship, Kwara State was the first state to open its accounts up for public scrutiny; it was also the first to gain an internationally-recognised Fitch credit rating. This is why today 90 per cent of Kwara State has access to electricity, compared to the national average of 30 per cent.

"This is in addition to Kwara State boasting an international airport, an international pilots' school, extensive road networks, community health insurance, the innovative Shonga Farms and a robust and growing economy. It's why he was recently honoured as an emerging political icon of Africa by African Leadership Magazine, gracing its cover and accepting an award at an event in Atlanta, USA.

"It should be noted that seven separate investigations took place on Senator Saraki during his time in office. After each investigation, the Senator always received a clean bill of health."