PH
A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Nigerian Diaspora Alliance for Good Governance (NiDAGG), has called on Senator Bukola Saraki to step aside as the Senate President, pending the outcome of the corruption case against him.
The group said Saraki should take a clue from what obtains in developed democracies, by vacating his seat as the Senate president, instead of challenging CCT’s jurisdiction on his case.
Representative of the group, Mr. Abdul Ibiyeye, while speaking with journalists in Lagos at the weekend, said the support that Saraki was getting from his colleagues shows that the Senate might likely shatter the confidence and trust of the ordinary people.
“Considering the nature of the case against him, the Senate president, Senator Bukola Saraki, should by now stand up for what is right. Nigeria is bigger than an individual or a group’s interest. The Senate should never be dragged in the mud because of political interest.
“What we saw in terms of support from the Senate when Saraki appeared in court is a shame and it is turning Nigeria to a laughing stock overseas.
“There is nowhere in the world, except in our country, Nigeria, where you find senators supporting someone accused of corruption.
“If Saraki knows that he has no skeleton in his cupboard as regards the case against him, let him vacate the seat of the Senate president and confront the court with worthy evidences to show his innocence,” he said.
He recalled a recent summit tagged, “The rise of Africa in the 21st Century”, held in New York, USA, where participants focused on the corruption issues facing Nigeria.
He said participants at the summit highlighted the need for President Muhammadu Buhari not to bow to pressures from within and outside the country.
