Saraki, time to be decisive is now

YORUBA in their infinite wisdom say that if the death within doesn’t kill, the one without cannot. That is, it takes the connivance of people you call family for you to be vulnerable to external foes. The Bible even asked in bewilderment, can two people walk together unless they agree? So if you call people family and there’s no basis for agreement, it is logical to conclude that one has inadvertently positioned himself as soft target for external foe.

If there was ever a time for the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki needs to take a bold political step and leave the ruling party APC, the time is now. With the recent vindication by the Supreme Court that he has no case to answer at the CCT, it has become evident that the trial was nothing but a viscous witch hunt to malign his person. All because he had the nerve to nurse an ambition as well as emerge as the Senate President against the wishes of certain forces within his party.

Using Government machineries to whip in line annoying opposition is condemnable but not novel here. Yet when the same despicable measure is used on a fellow party member of such hierarchy as the Senate President, then the irresponsibleness of the Government in power is beyond redemption. This is why in my opinion Dr Saraki at this moment has to exercise his freedom of association by leaving a party that has never been comfortable with him no matter how hard he struggles to justify his commitment.

I recall precisely that this political persecution in form of court trial commenced in August 2015, three months after the APC led government of President Muhammad Buhari was sworn in. So in more than three years of that administration, the Senate President has barely enjoyed a cumulative three months to function without distraction. And this is minus other criminal charges they’ve tried to pin to his name. This is minus the various disobedience of simple summons by service chiefs just to undermine his position as the number three man in the country.

Dr Saraki must not for once fool himself that the Supreme Court’s favourable ruling is the end. APC hierarchy will keep coming for his head as it is obvious. After this landmark judgment, it will be understandable if a tentative olive branch is extended after all election is by the corner, but I assure Dr Saraki that his present predicament would be a child’s play to what is coming if he doesn’t break this unholy alliance now. The time to be decisive is now.

Ogbeni La, Ilorin.