The trial of Senate President Bukola Saraki, former governor of Kwara State and former chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), at the Code of Conduct Tribunal was fuelled by those who see him as a threat in 2019. Saraki’s problem is being engineered, fanned, propelled, sponsored and sustained by forces that see him as a threat.

It is of course in the open that the Senate president’s persecutors are all in the APC. It is just a matter of time the identity of those who are interested in Saraki’s case will become open. Right now, they are in the back shooting missiles, but it is just a question of time, light will cast on their faces and their activities will come to the open. The Saraki threat is not for this government, it is for what is coming ahead. So, he is a victim of a conflict of ambition whereby if he was not a Senate president, he could not have been in the spotlight. And, if he is not a threat in the future, he would not be passing through what he is passing through now.

In advanced counties, people like Saraki are honoured for the excellent work done so far by the 8^th Senate, but the reverse is the case with us in Nigeria. It is on record that the 8^th Senate, under the leadership of Senator Saraki, has achieved the following:

1. 33 bills passed

2. 68 bills due for second reading

3. 56 bills introduced since September

4. 227 bills at first reading stage

5. 145 bills due for second reading

6. 118 bills at committee stage

7. 411 bills introduced

8. 9 priority bills at committee stage

9. 54 House bills waiting for concurrence

10. 35 concurrence bills passed

11. 32 Constitution amendment bills

The Senate-originated bills passed:

1. Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act Cap.B2 LFN 2011 (Repeal and Enactment) Bill 2015

2. Public Procurement Amendment Act

3. Nigerian Railway Corporation Act, 1955 N129 LFN 2004 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill 2015

4. Discrimination against persons with disabilities (Prohibition) Bill 2015

5. National Centre for Cancer and Treatment (Est) Bill SB. 10

6. Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun and for other related matters Bill, 2016

7. Forestry Research Institute Act/Bill 2015

8. Soil Science Nigerian Institute Act/Bill 2015

9. High Court of FCT Amendment Act/Bill

10. Electronic Transactions Bill 2015

11. Public Procurement Amendment Act/Bill 2015

12. National Assembly Budget and Research Office (Establishment) Bill, 2016

13. JAMB Act (Amendment) Bill, 2016

14. Food Security Bill, 2016

15. Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund (Est. etc.) Act Bill, 2016

16. Defense Space Agency (Est. etc.) Act/Bill 2016

17. Federal University, Wukari (Establishment, etc.) Act/Bill

18. Commercial Agricultural Credit Scheme Act/Bill 2016

19. National Institute for Cancer Research & Treatment (Establishment, etc.) Act Bill

20. High Court of Federal Capital Territory, Abuja (Amendment) Act/Bill

21. Electronic Transactions Act/Bill 2016

22. North-east Development Commission Bill (Establishment, etc.) Act/Bill 2016

23. Code of Conduct Act (Amendment) Bill 2016

24. Sexual Harassment in Tertiary Education Institutions Bill 2016

25. Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods Act 2004 SB55

26. Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service Bill 2016 SB81

27. National Poverty Alleviation Commission (Est. etc.) 2016 SB23

28. Air force Institute of Technology (Est etc) 2016 SB180

29. 2015 FCT Appropriation Act (SB 225)

30. National Sports Lottery Act 2005 Amendment Bill (SB.227)

31. Nigerian Peace Corps (Establishment) Bill

32. 2016 Appropriation Bill (SB 212)

33. INEC Amendment Bill (SB 231 & 234)

It is high time we pursued national interest for our collective good, instead of political vendetta, which has completely robbed the nation of true statesmanship like the frank posture of Saraki and his fearless colleagues in both chambers of the National Assembly.

•Adewole Kehinde, a journalist based in Abuja, can be reached on kennyadewole@gmail.com

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