By Chuks Ehirim
Assistant Editor, North
Senate President, Bukola Saraki, may resign or get impeached by his colleagues, many of whom have been in solidarity with him since his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).
Saraki has tried without success to let himself off the hook of the CCT where he faces alleged false declaration of assets.
His support base among his colleagues has diminished in the past three weeks, even when some still talk openly of their resolve to stand by him till the end.
Up to 77 senators have reportedly teamed up with President Muhammadu Buhari to get rid of Saraki.
All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, recently told a newspaper that Saraki will not get sympathy from the party in his travails.
Asked if his removal will not provide an opportunity for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to enthrone one of its own as Senate president, Oyegun said the APC would not be bothered by such a scenario playing itself out, but the party is doing everything to ensure the matter does not get to that stage.
A party source told TheNiche that the Presidency, which has distanced itself from Saraki, has engaged in what he called “harvest”.
According to the source, Buhari’s allies are wooing PDP senators, especially those from the South East and South South, to defect to the APC to shore up numerical strength of the party in the Senate.
The APC currently has 64 out of the total 109 Senators – which is short of the two-third majority of 73 to impeach Saraki.
But it seems the “harvest” is paying off as 77 senators from across party lines are now reportedly in Buhari’s column in the Saraki must go campaign.
The senators, allegedly led by Godswill Akpabio (former Akwa Ibom State governor), were said to have held a meeting with Buhari in the Villa on the night of Wednesday, April 27 and pledged their support for his anti-graft war.
“They said they have discovered that Buhari meant well in his anti-corruption war and that they have to support him,” a source disclosed.
Asked when the senators may begin moves to fire Saraki, the source said it may be after the May Day holiday.
Some senators loyal to Saraki had reportedly met in Abuja a few weeks ago and decided to ask him to resign in the interest of the office of the Senate president.