The Senate caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Saturday night, alleged that the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu, has hijacked the Senate, by working in concert with the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to harass the Bukola Saraki-led Senate.
They added that the orchestrated plot by Tinubu, was to ensure that Saraki suffers political set back, by mobilising the EFCC against him, in order to relinquish his position in the Senate.
This was part of the outcome of the caucus’ meeting in Abuja, to review what they regarded as an “onslaught” by the EFCC against members of the Senate.
Tinubu was accused of being behind the series of media attack against the Senate members, in order to pave way for his 2019 Presidential ambition.
Recall, that Tinubu had recently said he would not rule out his Presidential bid, should President Muhammadu Buhari decide not to run.
Taking a swipe on Tinubu, a source at the caucus meeting said: “constant bashing and campaign of calumny launched against the Senate by a prominent national daily and a frontline television station, believed to be owned by the former Governor, is an example of the on-going underground war being waged against the Senate as an institution.’’
The Senators at the meeting, were also said to have cited the attack on the Senate leadership and other members in recent time by the same media outfits, as examples of how: “it is obvious that Tinubu just wanted to destroy us.”
“The savage attack on Sen. Peter Nwaboshi, because he moved a motion on the refusal of the Executive to respect Senate resolutions, and drew a parallel between the recent travail of Sen. Dino Melaye, and some of their other colleagues.”
While Nwaboshi was recently reported to have been under the investigation of the EFCC, over contract allegedly awarded to him in his home State, Delta, Melaye was accused of not being a Geography graduate of the Ahmadu Bello University, though he has now been exonerated by a Senate panel.
The PDP caucus meeting, also reviewed a statement credited to the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, believed to be a close ally of Tinubu, who recently at a meeting in Lagos, allegedly threatened that the “Senators will see hell in the coming weeks, as fresh attacks will be launched against their integrity”.
Speaking further the source said: “We will expose them. They were not happy that Senators supported President Muhammadu Buhari, when he was away. They thought we will help them bring down the government, because of their ambition.
“Now they are deploying the EFCC and their media against us. Ibrahim Magu is a creation of Tinubu and Oba Akiolu. They want to use him to protect themselves, while also using him and the anti-graft agency as attack dogs against people who are not in their camp.
“That is why when EFCC received petitions against the head of a federal revenue generation agency into whose personal account some money due to government was paid, the anti-graft agency refused to act. The head of the agency concerned, had held similar position he is holding now in Lagos. It was the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission, ICPC, that is eventually pursuing the case now,” the PDP caucus member said.