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Bloomberg’s 2019 Verdict: Saraki tops list of power brokers to watch out for 

 

By Mumini AbdulKareem

As the countdown to the 2019 general elections draws near, Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki has been described as one of the top power brokers to watch in the country.
This was the verdict of an international news agency; Bloomberg News, headquartered in New York, United States, after it published a special report on top five Nigerian politicians that would shape 2019.
Bloomberg’s verdict is coming just as top individuals in the state urged calm over Appeal Court’s ruling on the Senate President Code of Conduct Trial (CCT).
According to the paper, founded in 1990 with 2,300 staff strength, presently Saraki is the third most powerful person as the Senate President with the reputation as one of the most ruthless (political) strategist in the country.
The news medium with high international status noted that although Saraki has expressed interest in the past in running for president, he has not made his 2019 ambition public.
The Senate President has however said he will make his intention for 2019 known, next February.
Bloomberg added that, “Even if Saraki chooses not to run, those seeking the presidency will need his support to emerge as president of the country.”
Other leaders that were listed in the report included President Muhammadu Buhari and former vice president, Atiku Abubakar who recently dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP).
Also on the list is national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President, PROF Yemi Osinbajo.
At 54, Saraki is however the youngest of all the powerful Nigerian leaders mentioned.
The issue of who gets the ticket to contest for the top seat in 2019 has been attracting huge interest from the APC and PDP after they both reportedly concluded arrangement to zone seat to the North.
Bloomberg said for Buhari to have any chance of winning again, “He’ll need to rebuild the coalition that formed the APC which Saraki is a vital cog.
Meanwhile Kwarans have continued to react to the Appeal Court’s judgment which acquitted Saraki of 15 of the 18 count changes brought before him at the CCT.
According to the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Dr Ali Ahmad, Saraki will be vindicated in the remaining three count charges when the case gets to the Supreme Court, adding that they hold no water.
In a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Shuaib Abdulkadir in Ilorin, yesterday, the Speaker described the issue as nothing but a distraction of the number three citizen in the country.
He urged the Senate President to proceed to the Supreme Court and exercise his constitutional right to finally dismiss the remaining charges and clear his name of any wrongdoing in the process.
According to him, Nigerians have by now lost interest in the whole matter because looking back at the CCT prosecution, they now believe it was more of a circus than pursuit of ideals of justice.
Also, in a telephone chat last night, Kwara State Chairman of the APC, Hon Ishola Balogun-Fulani said the party supporters should continue to pray as they have done since the beginning of the case.
“The meaning is that the remaining three count charges are frivolous. My advice is for the people to be calm and continue to pray, God will see us through at the end of the day.”
In his remarks, former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Saka Isau (SAN) said the judgement will be appealed to the Supreme Court.
“As I have always said, the charges are politically motivated and we have confidence in the judiciary that the three count charges(4, 5 and 6) will be reversed.”
However in an elaborate explanation of his position on the matter, the Mogaji Nda of Ilorin, Alhaji Saliu Woru Mohammed, told National Pilot in a telephone chat that the judgement is ridiculous and laughable adding that it will not stand the test of time.
“It is like returning a corpse to the same doctor that had certified it dead and tell him to re-examine him or wake him up. Is that possible? The trial judge had already thrown away the case that the evidences of those that testified are not reliable. Unless they are calling new witnesses or will they now present new evidence?
“Now that you are retuning him to the same judge or court that has already acquitted him, will he now say the three-count he had already dismissed are now reliable? The case is dead before arrival and a plus for the Senate President. All Saraki’s supporters should be calm and continue to jubilate as there is no cause for alarm,” he submitted.

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