Go and sin no more.
In an attempt to end the hostilities between leaders of Nigeria’s ruling party party, All Progressives Congress, President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo hosted members of the Nigerian Senate to a special dinner on Wednesday at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja. The dinner was well attended by Senators from All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Including Senate President Bukola Saraki and Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu. Former Lagos governor and a prominent leader of the ruling party Bola Tinubu also attended the dinner.
A long-time Senator who wants to remain anonymous told NAL that the purpose of dinner was to discuss how the legislators and the executive members can better work together to achieve a common goal.
“We’ve had a lot of turmoil over the past few months and it’s time for all the major players to move on. Failing to do so could become a mutual assured destruction,” the Senator said.
“Asiwaju Tinubu is a major force in this government and that’s not going to change anytime soon. Both him and Bukola (Nigeria’s Senate president) campaigned together for the President. So it’s important that they work together for us to delivered the change Nigerians want.”
Efforts to ease the disagreement between Tinubu and Saraki was first brokered at the wedding ceremony of four children of the former Nigeria’s vice-president Abubakar Atiku in Adamawa earlier in the month, according to a source. Both Atiku and Tinubu are business and political associates.
The relationship between Tinubu and Saraki took a tumble after the latter emerged the president of the Senate by joining forces with members of the opposition against his party’s wish. Shortly after, Saraki was charged for corruption and failing to declared some of his assets during his time as governor of Kwara State. After a series of failed attempt to stop his prosecution at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, the Senate President recently secured an injunction by the Supreme Court which led to the suspension of his trial. It’s now unclear whether the prosecution of Saraki will continued or be dropped, and what such action could mean for President Buhari anti-corruption war.
Earlier at the dinner, the President told Senators that Nigeria now enjoys tremendous goodwill from outside the country in places like the United States, India and South Africa. He also asked the Senators to fastrack reviews of laws that will help drive investments in important areas of the economy, including energy and infrastructures.
“I want to appeal to the committees to look at the agreements that were made five, six years ago on infrastructure. Look at how generous those countries were, especially China, and see how we can get funding. The advantages are so many. If the power sector works well, it will affect barbers, welders and even tailors,” Buhari Said.
“If we can get the railways working, we will safe a lot of lives and we will save a lot of fuel… In many cases the laws are dead.”
