Senate President Bukola Saraki has described as an “empty boast” the threat by National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole to sue him for defamation of character and character assassination.
In a statement by his media aide, Simon Ebegbulem, Oshiomhole warned Saraki to substantiate his allegation that he (Oshiomhole) received bribes to help some candidates clinch the party’s ticket in the recent acrimonous APC primaries or be ready to meet him in court.
The statement read, “It is sad that Saraki, who just woke up from slumber occasioned by his crushing defeat at the Port Harcourt presidential primary of his party, could degenerate to such a low level.
“It is equally sad, but not unexpected, that Saraki, who is politically drowning, would make such libelous comments against the national chairman of the APC. And I challenge Saraki to mention one name of an aspirant that gave money to the National Chairman or we file a legal action against him.
“Whereas the basis on which he made those comments was tenuous and unjustifiable, it is on record that Saraki has been in the eye of investigations by the EFCC and the ICPC for sundry cases of corruption.
“That is the same man that has taken it upon himself to question Comrade Oshiomhole’s credibility.
“We challenge him to mention one person who has claimed that he gave money to Oshiomhole to influence him and the decision of the party’s national working committee in the just-concluded primary elections.
“We insist that Saraki with his kind of prebendal politics is nothing but a monumental disgrace to the nation’s democracy.”
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But in a swift reaction through his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Yusuph Olaniyonu, the senate president said he “will be ready to meet him (Oshiomhole) in court.”
Saraki said, “Nigerians are waiting to see how the President will handle the serious allegations against his party chairman. We expect the President with his anti-corruption campaign to institute thorough and transparent investigation into the allegations against his party chairman.
“The failure of the President to get to the root of the matter will finally destroy his ability and that of the party to continue to talk of any anti-graft battle. The President should let the investigation be thorough, open and transparent. This is no time for any cover-up.”
Saraki added that Nigerians were eagerly waiting for the outcome of a thorough investigation into the matter, adding that until he is cleared of the allegations, Oshiomhole had no moral grounds to talk about others being corrupt.