Nigeria’s
Senate President, Bukola Saraki, on Monday denied reports that he will contest
the 2019 presidential election.
Mr. Saraki,
a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, said report making the
rounds that he will run for the presidency is false
In an
interview with Daily Independent, Yusuph Olaniyonu, Special Adviser on Media
and Publicity to Mr Saraki said there was no iota of truth in the report.
The Boss, a
newspaper managed by veteran journalist and one time presidential candidate,
Dele Momodu, had reported that Mr. Saraki will join the 2019 presidential race.
“The Boss
can exclusively reveal that Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki has
joined the 2019 Presidential race,” the paper reported over the weekend.
“There is no
doubt that he would be a formidable force that should not be ignored because
only few politicians in Nigeria today have the pedigree, the experience, the
clout and the connection of Senator Saraki.
“Impeccable
sources reveal that as he plots his move for the Presidency, he is said to be
considering building alliances with all Nigerians of like minds.”
But Mr.
Olaniyonu said the report is false.
He said,
“The report is false. If it is true that he is contesting, you would have seen
the report it (sic) in major dailies since last week Saturday when the news
broke out on social media. But as you can see, there is nothing like that,” Mr.
Olaniyonu said.
The
dismissed report also said that Mr. Saraki, a member of the APC, is considering
adopting Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu of the People’s Democratic
Party, PDP, as his running mate.
“Having
already exhibited the ability to work seamlessly with politicians from the two
main political parties, it is a path he can easily thread,” the newspaper
wrote.
In 2011, Mr.
Saraki declared his interest to contest for the presidency under the banner of
the PDP. He, however, stepped aside for Atiku Abubakar, the consensus candidate
adopted by the northern aspirants in the party at the time.
In the run
up to the 2015 general elections, Mr. Saraki and other aggrieved members of the
then ruling PDP defected to the APC.
He would
later join hands with other party members to unseat then incumbent president,
Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP, and elect President Muhammadu Buhari into office
as president.
Mr. Buhari
has not officially declared his intention to run for another term but there are
indications the president would seek reelection on the platform of the ruling
APC.
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