Politics de facto, is a game of wit which qualifies some of its triumphant players into crackerjack while those at the losing ends remain amateur in the eyes of the public. I ordinarily would not have revisited some of the political twists that were at the front burner before and after June 9 National Assembly Inauguration which nearly shattered the change which our angelic party represents, since majority of the aggrieved lawmakers are now in a smooth rapport with the Senate President and Chairman of the 8th National Assembly. As a patriotic Nigerian, it is high time one told ill informed that a nation filled with perpetual politicking or games of wit will either be in moribund or decline in Progress. So that forms the basis for my short tutorial for the wailers wailing over a black-eying news on Punch Newspaper and other anti-Saraki platforms claiming Saraki is begging some of his antagonists. Peace reigning is apparently, one of the reasons why the fearless and independent Senate President, Sen. Saraki sounded a reconciliatory melody to former Governor of Lagos state and a national leader of APC, Sen. Bola Tinubu popularly called, who was the strongest antagonist to Saraki’s senate presidential ambition.
To put the record straight, Saraki has always been an overpass architect as far as our Nigeria politics is concerned. Senator Bukola Saraki’s pedigree and antecedents on this harmonious step, speak volumes for him. Verily, his move towards Jagaban in this milieu, couldn’t have been as an antic of cowardice but somewhat should be viewed from the angle of his being a decent, civilised and nationalistic person who has the love of the Nation at heart and is ready to do everything possible at all times, to move Nigeria forward. He is has demonstrated that he is a true Nationalist who after being a victor in his ambition, is lower himself for the powers that be so that Nigeria can work as expected by Nigerians. Begging as they referred to it as, amused me when i saw it flying media this morning. The questions i asked myself were, is Tinubu a Senator? Haven’t Unity Forum Senators that supported Lawan been lobbying and accepting Committees and leadership positions? Will Tinubu ask his nominees for ministerial appointments and others like the newly appointed acting FIRS boss, Fowler, not to be screened and bow before Saraki as constitution provided? May be until the answers to those questions tuned ‘YES’, the word ‘Begging’ can then be aptly used.
Despite severe distractions orchestrated by external and influential politicians from APC since his in-house NASS poll triumph, he has demonstrated several rare qualities by the way and manner he was able to run the Senate, such that within a short period of his assumption of the leadership of the Senate, he was able to get hold of over two third of majority votes of the Senators in the vote of confidence passed by the 81 Members. In fact, it was that vote of confidence that vindicated Saraki as his proclaimed 35 APC supporting Senators later surfaced out of the 81 remaining 46 PDP Senators. So, the anti-Saraki advocates who make the ground seems hot for him to the outside world should know that they are holding the wrong end of the stick. Meanwhile, the Senate is fully at work and some giant and monumental achievements like electricity fixed charge regulation, NorthEast mayhem’s oversight function and federal government agencies’ regulations among others are made already, in spite of President Buhari’s hold-up of Cabinets and Executive setting till perhaps later this year. To some of the chief ignorant Nigerians who spite gibberish on NASS’s recesses, they should now learn easily that apart from lawmaking, Legislators also check executive not civil servants headed by permanent secretaries, as we have now.
Nonetheless, it is hoped that with the hands of brotherhood Saraki is extending to Tinubu, he should rather take it as a courageous act from a humble and descent man who would like to make peace with him, despite all the precedent calumnious campaigns and instigated oppositions from different digs against him by Asiwaju Tinubu, his paid dogs and others paid by Saraki’s perceived opponents to blackmail him. It will be of Nigeria’s interest for Tinubu to accept the Senate President’s overtures and agree to support and cooperate with him henceforth, in his zeal to lead National Assembly, in partnership with President Muhammad Buhari and the APC to move Nigeria forward towards copious prosperity. If this harmonious move by Saraki is not curtailed by Tinubu and Co and Nigeria is free of politicking for dominance of all times, perhaps we have an excellently working Nigeria under president Buhari and Saraki.