Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has denied reports that Nigerians associated with dubious claims in the infamous oil subsidy influenced his election as President of the eighth Senate.

According to his media office, the Senate President said such reports were wrong and mischievous.

He further denounced such rumours as false, untrue and calculated mischief. “Again, the attention of the Senate President Bukola Saraki has been drawn to a malicious, false and totally reprehensible news report, wherein it insinuated that the election of Dr. Bukola Saraki as the Senate President of the 8th Senate was facilitated by Nigerians associated with dubious claims in the infamous oil subsidy,” his publicist stated.

“The news report went further to give a negative and dirty impression that the emergence of the President of the 8th Senate is aimed to sabotage the anti corruption posture of President Muhammadu Buhari led Federal Government as well as sabotage the ‘Change agenda’ of the All Progressive Congress (APC).”

Saraki’s office said such attempts to justify this blackmail and others was the story credited to former Interim National Chairman of APC, Bisi Akande, published in some newspapers on Monday.

 “Ordinarily, we would have ignored the report, but for the sole reason that some undiscerning readers might mistake the fiction for the facts.

“We also wish to state unequivocally that it was wrong and mischievous for the statement by Chief Akande to link what happened on the floor of both chambers to some unnamed oil barons. We dare say that the entire story was the figment of the imagination of the author.”

Saraki pledged Senate under him as the President would give all necessary legislative support to the administration to fight and reduce corruption.

“Senator Bukola Saraki is determined and focused to achieve the Senate targeted legislative agenda and he is committed to support President Buhari to deliver on his promises to the people of Nigeria.”

 Saraki was earlier this month elected unopposed as President of the Senate by an across the party alliance comprising People’s Democratic Party and APC Senators. Saraki had faced stiff opposition from Senator Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan who was a preferred candidate by a group of senators-elect within the APC.

Credit: CAJ News