Senate President, Bukola Saraki is currently the third most powerful man in the country in terms of the position he holds, but come next year, he could be President if his ambitions come to fruition
According to the Nation, sources within his camp have confirmed that Saraki will try to run for the highest office in the Nation come 2019 under the umbrella of the PDP.
This move has reportedly left Governor Aminu Tambuwal and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso shocked. The duo were also reported to have wanted to get a Presidential ticket and that this was the motivation behind their purported defection.
It has also surprised Atiku Abubakar who the Nation reports had an agreement with Saraki for the latter to support his own Presidential ambition.
The Nation also reports that Saraki will not support Buhari come next year
According to the news daily, Saraki is still smarting from the Code of Conduct Tribunal and the links to the Offa robbery which some claimed he was the mastermind to.
“Since the pronouncement of the Supreme Court, the Senate President has become morally emboldened to rev up his presidential ambition. He has started consultations in the last 24 hours,” a source said yesterday.
“So far, the preliminary round of consultations indicate that he might participate in the presidential primaries of the PDP with some R-APC aspirants like Tambuwal and Kwankwaso.
“Initial field report and extensive survey have buoyed his confidence of winning the slot.
“With this development, Saraki will slug it out in PDP with Atiku, ex-Governor Ahmed Makarfi; ex-Minister Tanimu Turaki; ex-Governor Ibrahim Shekarau; ex-Governor Sule Lamido and others.
“Already, Saraki is done with APC going by the formation of R-APC and the defection of some of his backers and political like-minds to PDP.”
The Nation’s source also added: “He believes he did not deserve the humiliation he went through at the tribunal and in the hands of the police.
“What finally made the Senate President to forsake APC was his being linked with those behind the bank robbery and killings in Offa by the Police.
“I think the police pronouncement did more damage and it was that day he drew the line with APC.
“Also, his family, relations and political supporters in Kwara State don’t want to hear anything about APC. The trauma was too much for them.”