Senate President Bukola Saraki has dismissed allegations that he is a beneficiary of loot from the Kwara State treasury, asking, “What’s the worth of Kwara State that anyone would have billions to steal?”.
Saraki who recently declared his intention to run for president in 2019 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was a two-term governor of the state, and is believed by many to be the dominant powerbroker in the state.
Saraki’s comments were shared by Dele Momodu, journalist and author, in a piece about Saraki’s strategy to defeat President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.
In his weekly column, Pendulum, the publisher of Ovation Magazine said he had initially omitted Saraki’s name from the list of potential presidential candidates because of his “geographical location of Kwara and his own cultural roots naturally”.
“Saraki’s roadmap to victory is simple. Buhari is going to play the usual ethnic card that only a candidate from North-West can win a Presidential election in Nigeria,” Momodu wrote.
“He concedes that it may be difficult for any candidate from North-West and North-East to compete or beat Buhari hands down, despite the fact that PDP parades more experienced politicians and competent aspirants. What is then needed is to keep North Central on lockdown with a popular candidate from that zone.
“He believes that it may be a waste of time and resources trying to compete in the President’s traditional enclave other than to strive to get up to 25%. PDP should instead focus on mobilising the forces from the opposite direction and lockdown four out of the six geo-political zones.
“If the PDP presents just anyone, there may be voter apathy and Buhari would coast home to victory. As to where his deputy will come from, it would have to be from the South-East/South-south axis, since he has already covered the South-West, technically.”
Speaking of the corruption accusations against him and how the youth feel about him, Saraki was quoted as saying, “That is my biggest task because they are my catchment group. I know many have been brainwashed and I don’t blame them.
“You know when you tell some lies repeatedly, it becomes the truth to some people. For example, they say I’m the most corrupt man on earth. I have looted Kwara state dry. All cheap but dangerous lies. What’s the worth of Kwara State that anyone would have billions to steal? I was born into business.”
