Saraki’s defection, a relief to APC, says FG-crossfire

The All Progressives Congress-led federal government says Wednesday that the defection of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was a great relief to the party.
PATRICK ANDREW brings highlights
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed stated this while briefing State House correspondents after the weekly Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja, said the Senate President has become the greatest obstacle to the government.
He said that if Dr.
Saraki was not a member of the APC “I don’t think the government would have suffered more as regards the delay in passing the budget.
The Senate President, Dr.
Bukola Saraki has behaved all along as if he was a member of the opposition.” He said the APC stands to lose nothing with the defection of the Senate President and his loyalists adding that the APC in the state will grow stronger with his exit.
He also said that the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the state have also defected to APC in disapproval of Saraki’s coming back to the party.
Similarly, Imo state Governor and Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum, Rochas Okorocha said the defection of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, would not affect the reelection of President Muhammadu Buhari in next year’s election.
Okorocha spoke on the sidelines of the swearing in of the new chairman of the All Progressives Congress APC in Imo state, Mr.
Daniel Madueke Nwafor, at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
“They didn’t tell me when they joined the party and I don’t want to know when they are leaving.
So, people are entitled to their opinion on how they see issues.
“Political party is just like a vehicle with which you get to the appointed destination and if they found that they can no longer get what they want in APC and they want to get to other parties, good luck! But the question you should ask me is that, how does that affect the party in 2019.
“I don’t see in anyway how it has affected the party negatively and the issue there is that President Muhammadu Buhari will win his reelection come 2019.
“He is stronger and firm; he will do better than how he had done before in terms of electoral values.
So, his (Saraki’s) defection is allowed.
“As they are going, many people are still coming into the party in their thousands.
It is neither here nor there.
We shouldn’t make a big issue of it.
Saraki is entitled to his political opinion and he wants to leave, good luck and the governor of Kwara, my colleague leaves, good luck”.
On Sunday President Muhammadu Buhari has said he is not bothered by the defections in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Responding to a question during an interactive session with the Nigerian community in Togo at the Nigerian Embassy, Lome, President Buhari said most Nigerians appreciated the performance of his administration.
“I am not bothered about the defections.
Ordinary Nigerians have developed confidence in us and are defending us.
I assure you, majority of Nigerians back home are appreciative of our efforts.”