Saraki Raises Alarm Over Sponsored Protest Against Him By Some Politicians

The embattled President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has raised the alarm over plots by some politicians to sponsor protest marches and demonstrations against him.

Saraki said the protest will be characterised by carrying of placards and disturbance of public peace.
The Transition Monitoring Group, a coalition of over 400 civil organisations working for the entrenchment of democracy and good governance in Nigeria, had already added its voice to the growing calls for the embattled Senate president to step down from office.
However, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki stated that sponsors of the proposed protest marches are seeking to forcefully mobilize and pollute public opinion against him.
The statement said: “As part of their plan, they are already distributing money and other materials to some faceless civil society Organisations, market men and women associations and other shadowy groups with a view to instigate demonstrations in Lagos, Abuja and Ilorin starting from Monday, April 11.
“They believe that the on-going trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal provides them the opportunity to stampede Dr. Saraki out of office so that their defeated objective of getting their lackey into the office of Senate President will be realized. This is another desperate move by these spineless politicians to achieve through the back door what they failed to realize on the floor of the Senate.
“We are alerting members of the public to the antics of these desperate politicians which may result into breach of public peace, order and health. Dr. Saraki is a peace-loving and law abiding politician. The trial at the CCT is just beginning and while the prosecution’s witness has started giving evidence, he is yet to be cross-examined by the defence team. The defence has also not opened its own case. We urge members of the public to patiently wait for the conclusion of the case.
“Since the fundamental principle of our legal system is that an accused person is presumed innocent until he is found guilty, Dr. Saraki will not allow any distraction to take him away from his responsibility as President of the Senate and Chairman of the National Assembly.”