Senator Sabi Aliyu Abdullahi (Niger North) and his counterpart from Nasarawa South, Senator Hussain Salihu, said yesterday that charges brought against Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), remain allegations and therefore will not be allowed to cause any distraction to the legislative agenda of the Senate.

The lawmakers, while reacting to the suit against the Senate president, said Saraki had provided the needed leadership for the upper chamber of the National Assembly to define an efficient agenda that would make the legislature best represent the interest of the people.

Aliyu said: “I want to believe an allegation remains an allegation; and our laws are very clear. It is an allegation until it is proven; I want to believe it remains an allegation. However, let’s take a closer look at what the allegations are; dating back to 2003 to date, I think there is something fishy about it. It is very obvious; of course we know what has happened since the inauguration of the 8th Senate.

“What I want to state here clearly is that we have a duty based on our mandate by the electorate to come here, a number of processes were done, and I want to believe that, unless if somebody is trying to tell us that all those processes were carried out by various security agencies were not correct, I want to believe, if they were correct, then somebody needs to ask the question: how come 12 years down the line somebody is feeling that there is something he has forgotten in those years and he wants to find an answer to them now?

“But I think that what the 8th Senate is looking at clearly are the issues of youth unemployment; the insurgency for which we know that based on the support of the National Assembly, we are all living witnesses to the thorough and expeditious work done to confirm the Service Chiefs, and our resolve through our legislative agenda to support our party in this particular dispensation.

“I want to believe that we will not be distracted from that, and whatever it is that anybody is doing, our laws are very clear. We have a responsibility, and on the basis of that we will try to do what Nigerians expect of us.”

Aliyu said the Senate would continue to stand by Saraki who has been ordained by God to lead the 8th Senate.

According to him, “We are also aware that the Adhoc Committee on Power has been working. Am sure all of us here, after all these days work, I don’t know how many of you will go back home and meet light in your houses.

“So, these are very serious issues that Nigerians expect that we pay our attention to; and I want to assure you that the 8th Senate will not be distracted in any way.

“We will stand by our leaders because leadership is from God and as far as I am concerned, I didn’t come here because I am the best; it is just the will of God that we will be here and based on the fact that we are here, we shall try as much as possible to deliver very good legislations that will move this country forward.

“Nigeria is great, and we want to make it greater and I assure you, we will definitely not be distracted. The entire Senate is behind our leadership.”

In his reaction, Senator Salihu said those trying to dig into Saraki’s past because he is now Senate President will soon be tired because the Senate will not abandon him as their duly elected leader.

Salihu said: “The charges against Saraki as far as I am concerned are just distractions, in the sense that we are talking about issues of 13 years ago and people are bringing it now.

“I think Nigerians should disregard such issues because they are distracting the National Assembly from doing its own constitutional work. And I don't think that it is going to help us.

“What we are talking about now is how we are going to get power supply; how the ordinary man can send his children to school and the sick to get hospitals that will treat them.

“So, the allegations are non-issues. I think the people who are doing this are not helping the country; they are not helping the President and they are not helping anybody because as far as the National Assembly is concerned, we are going to move on from all these distractions.

“As you can see, for those of us that are around we are doing our work and the place is energised to take off for effective legislative activities when we resume.

“So, I don’t see how these things are going to affect us. They will do it and get tired. What happened 13 years down the line, why have they not brought it until now? So, we feel that those who are doing this are not helping the nation at all.”

•Photo shows Senate President Saraki.

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