NIGERIA'S ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has finally accepted the election of Senator Bukola Saraki as the country's senate president despite threatening to discipline him for the controversial way in which he got elected in defiance of the party.
Former Kwara State governor Senator Saraki was elected and sworn-in as senate president in defiance of the party, elected unopposed by 57 of 108 senators present, with 51 senators, including his main rival Senator Ahmed Lawan, absent. Other APC senators were at the nearby International Conference Centre (ICC) in Abuja for meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari to resolve the issue of National Assembly leadership.
Playing a fast one, Senator Saraki and his supporters reached a deal with the opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) under which the PDP's Senator Ike Ekweremadu was elected his deputy with the former senate president Senator David Mark elected majority leader. Incensed at the betrayal, the APC has been threatening to discipline Senator Saraki with either suspension or expulsion and up until now, party leaders have refused to meet him.
However, last night, the APC appeared to mellow a bit with party chairman Chief John Oyegun said what happened was a family affair that would be sorted out internally. He added that Senator Saraki was duly elected by his colleagues, so there was no cause for alarm over his emergence as senate president.
Chief Oyegun said: “We have a reality and we must live with it. There is no next step, what has happened is within the APC family and we are sorting it out within the family.
"People say they are going to court which is their right but as a party we are looking at everything and we are coming out strong. We have faced greater challenges before and this too shall pass away."
According to Chief Oyegun, this is not the first or second time the APC has passed through challenges and come out strong. He added that this may not even be the last time it faces such a test but every time it comes out stronger and more determined.
