Bukola Saraki, the political persecution and religious card.
By Ope Babs
One of the newest options of Senator Bukola Saraki now is playing a religious card on the intelligence of Nigerians to garner sympathy and to create the usual impression that he is being persecuted politically for going against Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket. Who cares?
As if the alleged persecution theory has not been told in the public domain by his loyalists before probably because he wasn't the one who personally made the statement or he felt he needed to educate the public better he rhetorically responded to the open letter written by Dele Momodu of ovation trying to validate his alleged political persecution.
He also stated how he made significant contribution to the APC at ensuring the ousting of PDP. He felt he had been loyal enough to the APC to have deserved being accorded with much respect like other party loyalists. The last time I checked, the case is between the code of conduct bureau (CCB) vs Abubakar Bukola Saraki and not between APC vs Abubakar Bukola Saraki.
Let us even assume that the CCB is being influenced by some top notchers in the APC who are opposed to his senate presidency as alleged, is it possible for CCB to establish a case where there is no case? Or should we now say because of being a party loyalist, any alleged wrong doing of the past should be swept under the carpet without being tried? Yes, some people would want to ask me why has he not been tried since 2003, why 2016 simply because he became the Senate President? My simple and precise answer is that change which has broad spectrum of definition has come to stay. It is no longer business as usual. Another fact while the case had tarried till now since it erupted some years ago is because there wasn't any effective and definitive political will to successfully try corruption cases in the past. Now it is basic and elementary justification of political persecution from political enemies owing to the recent developments in the political circle. No, I refuse to buy into that politically and logically. No matter how many enemies you have, if you don't have skeletons in your cupboard, they can only try but not triumph over you.
Before I skip this point, he made further justification to convince the public in the open letter that the only witnesses against him in the trial are EFCC officials. Well my argument to that is that if the law allows a defendant as a witness in his own case, then any other person can be a witness in his own case. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is an agency charged with investigating criminal acts and where it feels it has sufficient evidence to push a case forward to a court of competent jurisdiction, it does that. It is left for them to put up a good defense to substantiate the evidence at hand. So I don't think CCB calling EFCC as witness is wrong, it is just as simple as when Mr C. serves as a witness to Mr. A.
Conclusively, the law says nobody should be adjudged guilty until proven at the court of law. Mr. Saraki should at least be able to follow the path of honour and resign his position first as done in sane societies to prove himself clean. That's what is expected of him by any patriotic Nigerian who wants the best for his/her country not what politically beclouded juggernauts advises him to do. Using the legislative functions to negotiate the fate of trials and adjourning sessions incessantly will only fuel the anger of the masses who voted them to represent their interests at the national assembly. Already there has being a trending group mobilising in this regard as #OccupyNass and many others. This is avoidable and our individual interest must not supercede the national interest in the name of unholy solidarity or whatever name they call it. So the onus is on Mr Saraki to make good case for the defense of his trial rather than resolving to fueling religious disharmony which has done no good to the country up till today.
God bless Nigeria.
Ope Babs is a writer, public analyst and social commentator.
By Ope Babs
One of the newest options of Senator Bukola Saraki now is playing a religious card on the intelligence of Nigerians to garner sympathy and to create the usual impression that he is being persecuted politically for going against Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket. Who cares?
As if the alleged persecution theory has not been told in the public domain by his loyalists before probably because he wasn't the one who personally made the statement or he felt he needed to educate the public better he rhetorically responded to the open letter written by Dele Momodu of ovation trying to validate his alleged political persecution.
He also stated how he made significant contribution to the APC at ensuring the ousting of PDP. He felt he had been loyal enough to the APC to have deserved being accorded with much respect like other party loyalists. The last time I checked, the case is between the code of conduct bureau (CCB) vs Abubakar Bukola Saraki and not between APC vs Abubakar Bukola Saraki.
Let us even assume that the CCB is being influenced by some top notchers in the APC who are opposed to his senate presidency as alleged, is it possible for CCB to establish a case where there is no case? Or should we now say because of being a party loyalist, any alleged wrong doing of the past should be swept under the carpet without being tried? Yes, some people would want to ask me why has he not been tried since 2003, why 2016 simply because he became the Senate President? My simple and precise answer is that change which has broad spectrum of definition has come to stay. It is no longer business as usual. Another fact while the case had tarried till now since it erupted some years ago is because there wasn't any effective and definitive political will to successfully try corruption cases in the past. Now it is basic and elementary justification of political persecution from political enemies owing to the recent developments in the political circle. No, I refuse to buy into that politically and logically. No matter how many enemies you have, if you don't have skeletons in your cupboard, they can only try but not triumph over you.
Before I skip this point, he made further justification to convince the public in the open letter that the only witnesses against him in the trial are EFCC officials. Well my argument to that is that if the law allows a defendant as a witness in his own case, then any other person can be a witness in his own case. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is an agency charged with investigating criminal acts and where it feels it has sufficient evidence to push a case forward to a court of competent jurisdiction, it does that. It is left for them to put up a good defense to substantiate the evidence at hand. So I don't think CCB calling EFCC as witness is wrong, it is just as simple as when Mr C. serves as a witness to Mr. A.
Conclusively, the law says nobody should be adjudged guilty until proven at the court of law. Mr. Saraki should at least be able to follow the path of honour and resign his position first as done in sane societies to prove himself clean. That's what is expected of him by any patriotic Nigerian who wants the best for his/her country not what politically beclouded juggernauts advises him to do. Using the legislative functions to negotiate the fate of trials and adjourning sessions incessantly will only fuel the anger of the masses who voted them to represent their interests at the national assembly. Already there has being a trending group mobilising in this regard as #OccupyNass and many others. This is avoidable and our individual interest must not supercede the national interest in the name of unholy solidarity or whatever name they call it. So the onus is on Mr Saraki to make good case for the defense of his trial rather than resolving to fueling religious disharmony which has done no good to the country up till today.
God bless Nigeria.
Ope Babs is a writer, public analyst and social commentator.
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