Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in February 2019 election, Atiku Abubakar, on Tuesday, said that strong indications have shown that the Federal Government was persecuting a former President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki.
Atiku said that fresh investigation of Saraki by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over his tenures as Kwara State Governor, between 2003 and 2011 and Senate President from 2015 to 2019 objectively could be seen as persecution instead of prosecution.
In a statement titled, ‘Bukola Saraki: Silence in the face of tyranny as acquiescence,’ the former Vice President said Saraki is one of the most investigated politicians in Nigeria.
He said, “Saraki, the immediate past Senate President, is one of the most investigated politicians in Nigeria. He has been investigated and prosecuted all the way to the Supreme Court and has prevailed against his accusers. It was expected that, that should have been the end of the matter.
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“However, the revival of previously investigated cases and the fact that Saraki was politically opposed to the administration of Muhammadu Buhari seems to give strong grounds for objective bystanders to conclude that his current travails have gone beyond prosecution and are now tending towards persecution.”
Emphasizing that he stood against corruption in government, Atiku said that was why his office personally facilitated the take-off of the EFCC after it was created by then President Olusegun Obasanjo.
He insisted that he was all for prosecuting corrupt people, but added that it was wrong to use the instruments of state to persecute political opponents.
He advised Saraki to stand firm and take solace in the fact that Nigerians still hold the constitution higher than any other authority.
Furthermore, he called on Nigerians, especially those tasked with upholding the constitution and the laws of the land, to note that silence in the face of oppression is akin to acquiescence adding that he would always stand up for the constitution and Nigeria.
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