BEVERLY HILLS, July 30, (THEWILL) – Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and former governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, have been engaged in a war of words over as both described the other as mischievous.
While Saraki lampooned Senator Adamu (APC, Nasarawa West), describing him as a latter-day supporter of President Muhammadu Buhari, Adamu alleged that the Senate President plotted to succeed the President when he (President Buhari) was sick and undergoing treatment in London.
The Senate President, in a statement signed on his behalf by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, described Adamu as a compulsive liar and an unreliable man who would do or say anything to suit his situation at any point in time.
He vowed to expose Senator Adamu on unpalatable stories he told him about President Buhari in Morocco last year, said Adamu’s sudden support for Buhari came after men of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, went after him and his son over alleged misappropriation of funds in Nasarawa State.
“I have deliberately ignored the antics of Senator Abdullahi Adamu, especially his constant media attack on me and the Senate since Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, dusted his file on alleged case of corruption and also went ahead to arraign his son in court,” Saraki said.
“So far, I had refrained from responding in kind out of respect for his age. However, it seems he has misread my maturity and respect for docility.
“He feels the best way to play his self-survival game and ingratiate himself to the government in order to save his skin is for him to be seen to be fighting Saraki, even if that would require him to tell brazen lies and peddle mischief in his old age.
“However, I feel his latest statement in an interview with a national newspaper deserves a reaction from me. First, I could not have referred to my colleague, Senator Dino Melaye, as a clown, knowing that from available records, Senator Melaye has so far out-shined and has performed better than Senator Abdullahi in terms of the number of bills sponsored, motions raised and contributions to debate on the floor.
“Clearly, Adamu’s seven years cannot be compared to Senator Melaye’s three years. Senator Adamu is free to challenge this assertion by showing his records.
“Again, I restate that Senator Adamu is a deceptive, manipulative and desperate liar. He only says what suits him as the occasion demands. I urge people to check his contributions on the floor before the EFCC moved against him and his son and they will see that this is a latter day, selfish supporter of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“We know what he was saying about the President and his administration and what should happen in 2019 during discussions with our colleagues, particularly former governors in the Senate.
“I specifically recall some statements he made about the President and his administration during an official trip we made together to Morocco in March last year. At the appropriate time, we will give more details.”
Responding, Senator Adamu insisted that Saraki was the mischievous and compulsive liar, and not him declaring that he had no case in court in any part of the country, just as he urged the Senate President to go and verify if he had any case in any court in Nigeria.
“My case with the EFCC was between 2010- 2015 and it was terminated June 28, 2015. My counsel is Ibrahim Abdullahi, SAN, he is based in Abuja, any one can go and verify. I have no case anywhere in Nigeria, Saraki is the one that is telling lies, he is the mischievous and compulsive liar,” he said.
“Saraki is just doing himself, he started the problem for himself. He started plotting to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari when he was sick. He thought that the President will not come back, unfortunately for him and fortunately for all of us, the President came back.”
