APC mocks Saraki over presidential ambition, lists corruption charges

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has lambasted Senate President,
Bukola Saraki over his '2019 presidential ambition'.

APC National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, in a statement on
Monday, said Saraki cannot pass integrity and anti-corruption test.

He said: "In a recent interview with the international news
organization, Bloomberg, the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki
unsurprisingly declared his intention to contest the 2019 Presidency
under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

"Against the backdrop of the litany of corruption allegations trailing
the Senate President, Saraki's declaration, brings to the fore our
earlier call to anti-graft agencies to check the use of stolen public
funds to finance elections in this country. We reiterate our position
that the Nigerian electorate must have the opportunity to choose from
candidates that can pass the integrity and anti-corruption test.

"Let us refresh our memory on some of Saraki's corruption allegations:
Allegations of fraud which led to the collapse of the Saraki
family-owned Société Générale Bank (Bukola Saraki who was Director of
the defunct bank was indicted over N1bn alleged to have been looted
from the bank's treasury).

"Misappropriation of Kwara State funds, disregard of government due
process and conversion of State government assets into his and cronies
when he served as two-term governor of Kwara State.

"History of betrayals, treachery and sabotage – Family, political
party (PDP, APC), Senate, government.
Saraki was questioned by the Nigeria Police Special Fraud Unit over an
N11 billion financial scandal at the defunct Intercontinental Bank.

"Gluttonous property acquisitions and hidden multi-billion dollar
assets spread across the world as disclosed by the Panama Papers
revelations.
The multi-million dollar white elephant Shonga Agricultural Project in
Kwara State when Saraki served as two-term governor.

"Falsification of Senate standing order: Saraki's link to the N298m
armoured Range Rover SUV seized by the Nigeria Customs Service.

"Saraki is link to $19.5b Paris Club Loan refund scandal, he oversaw
budget padding in the National Assembly
among other numerous corruption scandals.

"Nigerians should be wary of a man whose personal ambition will always
supersede the interest of the majority and national interest as
currently displayed in the National Assembly.

"While Saraki refuses to reconvene the National Assembly, the 2019
election budget of the Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) is dangerously delayed, an action deliberately taken to
sabotage INEC's ability to conduct free, fair, transparent and
credible elections in 2019.

"While Saraki refuses to step down as Senate President as rightly and
severally demanded by the APC-dominated Senate, he is bent on foisting
a PDP-minority rule (Senate President and Deputy Senate President) in
the Upper Legislative House

"The only politics that Bukola Saraki plays is self, himself only and
only himself. The interest and welfare of the people of Nigeria do not
mean anything to him. Now it is the Presidency Saraki wants.

"And we ask with what antecedents is he doing this? Conspiracy,
blackmail, treachery and vaulting ambition which overleaps itself and
falls on the other, as rightly captured by William Shakespeare. Bukola
Saraki will rather rule in hell than serve in paradise.

"Ahead of 2019 elections, Nigerians must ensure that we never again
entrust the leadership of this great country to thieves whose sole aim
is treasury looting and returning us to the dark ages where impunity
and institutionalized corruption was the order of the day."