So-called forgery case against me is another wanton abuse of the judicial process- Saraki

Senate President Bukola Saraki, has described the allegations of forgery of senate standing order leveled against him and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu by the Federal government as another wanton abuse of the judicial process and making a mockery of the institution of justice.

In a statement released by his special adviser on media and publicity, Yusuf Olaniyonu yesterday June 22nd, Saraki said some people were trying to implicate him in keeping with their declared vow to ensure that even if their current efforts to nail him through the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) fails, they would find other ways to carry out their vendetta.

Saraki's trial must go on- Suprem court rules

The Supreme court has ruled that Senate President, Bukola Saraki must continue his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT). In a judgement delivered this morning, the apex court dismissed Saraki's appeal challenging the authority of the tribunal in trying him for a 13 count charge of asset falsification filed against him by the Federal government last year.

The apex court ruled that the tribunal had the constitutional power to try him and so his trial must continue.

My Trial Not Discussed In Meeting With Buhari – Saraki

Senate President Bukola Saraki on Wednesday evening said the focus of the meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the National Assembly was how to better the lot of Nigerians.

He said the meeting, which was at the instance of the President, was to devise means of delivering the promises made to Nigerians during electioneering.

Saraki spoke with State House correspondents at the end of the meeting held behind closed doors at the First Lady’s Conference Hall inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said, “The meeting was an initiative of the President for an interaction with the leadership of the National Assembly.

“It was a very useful session, being the first one. This kind of interaction helps in ensuring smooth relationship between the two arms of government.

Seantors observe one minute silence for late H.I.D Awolowo

Members of the Senate during their sitting today observed a minute silence in honor of late Mrs H.I.D Awolowo who died last month. 

Continue to see more photos from their sitting today..

'Sahara Reporters suspicious motives for attacking Bukola Saraki' - press statement

This is a press statement from the office of Senate president, Bukola Saraki. Read below...

On Thursday, August 6th, 2015, SaharaReporters published a totally fabricated report entitled: "Nigeria's Senate President Saraki Lied In His Official Election Forms" on its website. In that dubious and utterly false report, SR alleged that the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, is not a Nigerian citizen. The article went further, based solely on suppositions to infer that Dr. Saraki intentionally avoided question 10 on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) form for candidates contesting National Assembly elections and by so doing must have sworn to an oath of allegiance to another country, such as United Kingdom, the report concluded. 

The article also suggested that the Senate President avoided stating his place of birth on the INEC form, and that he is intentionally concealing his UK citizenship to avoid being disqualified in any way from political office.

81 senators deliver vote of confidence on the leadership of Saraki as Senate President

This is the list of 81 senators who raised the motion to pass a vote of confidence on Senate leadership as shared on Twitter by Saraki's media aide, Banks Omishore. 

More after the cut...

Buhari reportedly moves to pacify Tinubu - Ex-Governor to get more Ministerial nominees

This is according to a report by Tribune. They claim that president Buhari is considering giving former Lagos State governor Bola Tinubu more ministerial slots as a way of pacifying the national leader of the APC who is said to be very angry about the goings on in the party...especially the national Assembly crisis.

"Sources close to the APC confirmed to the Nigerian Tribune that the presidency had discovered lately that Tinubu was angry and had been putting some measures in place to pacify the national leader of APC.

Tinubu’s camp was said to have been angered by Buhari’s failure to back its strategies that would have ensured the emergence of candidates of the party for the positions of Senate president and Speaker of the House of Representatives.

It was learnt that Tinubu was particularly angry that Buhari did not make good his promise to address APC legislators at the International Conference Centre on June 9, leading to the emergence of Senator Bukola Saraki as Senate president.

Senator Bukola Saraki: The Story of a Serial Traitor

By Oluwaseyi Oduyela

Dr. Bukola Saraki worked as a Medical Officer at Rush Green Hospital, Essex between 1988 and 1989. He was a Director of Societe Generale Bank (Nig) Ltd from 1990-2000. He was appointed special assistant to the President on Budget in 2000 and fired few months later.

Dr. Bukola Saraki was elected the Executive Governor of Kwara State in 2003 replacing his father’s former political godson, Mohammed Lawal. Commodore Lawal had fallen out with Olusola Saraki, and therefore, had to be shown the door with the active support and connivance of Obasanjo, Dr. Saraki was installed as the Governor of Kwara State.

By the time Bukola became Governor of Kwara State, he was the Vice Chairman of the defunct Societe Generale bank. While it may be a stretch to say that the bank collapsed under his stewardship, some argue that his family’s influence on the bank at the turn of the new century marked the beginning of the end of the bank.

APC insists on Deputy Senate President Ekweremadu's removal

APC says Deputy Senate president Ike Ekweremadu who is a member of PDP must be removed from office. Senator Ekweremadu who was also the deputy senate president in the last administration, was elected deputy senate president during the controversial senate leadership election on June 9th which produced Senator Bukola Saraki as Senate President.

A member of the ruling party who spoke on condition of anonymity with Punch, said Ekweremadu serving as deputy senate president will adversely affect President Buhari's administration.

He also added that President Buhari has refused to see Senator Saraki and Hon Dogara since their emergence as Senate President and Speaker.

Saraki's Citizenship Saga: What The Constitution Says.

Although I have not been able to confirm if the passport being circulated online by that website that is now practically synonymous with blackmail is genuine, I will base my argument on the assumption that "IF IT HAPPENS TO BE TRUE". My reason is simple: If it is found to be false, No case. It is only if the passport is confirmed to be genuine that we need to waste time deliberating on what the constitution says about the matter.

Now, what makes an individual a bonafide citizen of this country?

According to the constitution (section 25), 

25. (1) The following persons are citizens of Nigeria by birth-namely-

(a) every person born in Nigeria before the date of independence, either of whose parents or any of whose grandparents belongs or belonged to a community indigenous to Nigeria;

Provided that a person shall not become a citizen of Nigeria by virtue of this section if neither of his parents nor any of his grandparents was born in Nigeria.

APC Insist On It's List Of Principal Officers.

                                   

APC insist on it's list of principal officers, which includes:

Majority Leader: Sen. Ahmed Lawan from North East Zone
Chief Whip: Sen, Prof. Sola Adeyeye from South West Zone
Deputy Majority Leader: Sen Dr. George Akume from North Central Zone

Deputy Chief Whip: Sen. Abu Ibrahim from North West

Meanwhile, The senate president Bukola Saraki has refused to implement the party decision, which caused a lot of division in the house before adjourning senate plenary to July 21st 2015. 

NASS crisis: APC Govs meet with Buhari, urge APC Senators to respect the wishes of the party

Following the lingering crises in the National Assembly over the appointment of principal officers in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, APC Governors late Tuesday night had a closed door meeting with Pres. Buhari to discuss on ways to resolve the matter. At the end of the meeting, the Governors called on APC members in the National Assembly to respect the wishes of the party regarding appointment of principal officers. 

APC Forwards Names of Candidates For Principal Positions In NASS To Senate President, Speaker

Chairman of the APC Chief John Odigie-Oyegun yesterday forwarded names of the party's chosen candidates to ocupy principal positions in the National Assembly to Saraki and Dogara. The names which was contained in a letter signed by Chief Odigie-Oyegun reads; 

"Please find below for your necessary action names of principal officers approved by the party, after excessive consultations for the 8th Senate as follows: Senator Ahmed Lawan(Majority Leader)–North-East; Prof. Sola Adeyeye( Chief Whip)–South-West; Sen. George Akume (Deputy Majority Leader)—North-Central; and Sen. Abu Ibrahim(Deputy Chief Whip)—North-West."

See The Official Portrait of Nigeria Senate President

Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki Official Portrait 

APC Accept Saraki As Senate President

APC finally accept the emergence of Senator Bukola Saraki and Speaker Dogara as the Senate president and speaker of the house of representative respectively. The APC leader Chief John Odigie Oyegun said they were duly elected by their colleagues.

He also said the party must wake up to that reality and also live with it. But denied the fact that, the party is aggrieved by the outcome of both elections. He also said, the crisis rocking the party right now will only make it stronger.

Senate President Bukola Saraki Receives British High Commissioner

Senate President, Bukola Saraki today eulogized the continued bilateral relationship between Nigeria and the UK, assuring that the present administration is determined to fulfill its obligations to the betterment of the nation. The Senate President while hosting the visiting British High Commissioner, Dr. Andrew Pocook in his office today commended him for reinvigorating the mutual understanding that exist between the two countries.

He stressed that Nigeria will always look forward to Britain in areas of infrastructural development and socio-security, "I am very delighted to receive Your Excellency in my office barely 48 hours to my resumption to office. This shows the level of commitment the British government has towards the course of Nigeria. 

Senate president, Bukola Saraki shares Pictures from the first day of sitting of the Senate of the 8th NASS in his Facebook page.

Senate President Bukola Saraki and His Deputy Ike Ekweremadu

See more pictures below...

Tinubu’s Wife Snubbed The New Senate President After Taking Her Oath Of Office

After being handed a lesson or two in politicking on Tuesday, the 28 APC lawmakers who were absent when the 8th Senate was inaugurated, dusted themselves up and stormed the National Assembly complex as early as they could muster on Wednesday.

Recall that this group of Senators were still huddled in the ICC center (waiting for a meeting that never held) the previous day when the Clerk of the Assembly,  Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa, proclaimed the 8th Senate open and subsequently conducted the election that threw up Bukola Saraki as Senate President.

Buhari Says He Will Work With Senate President Saraki And Speaker Dogora

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday said he had noted the outcome of the elections of leaders of the National Assembly and stood by his earlier position that he would work with whoever the lawmakers elected as their leaders.

He said although he would have preferred that the process of electing the leaders as initiated and concluded by the All Progressives Congress was followed, he was of the view that constitutional process “has somewhat occurred.”

The 8th National Assembly has elected former Kwara State governor Bukola Saraki as Senate president.

The 8th National Assembly has elected former Kwara State governor Bukola Saraki as Senate president.

More Pictures Below...