The defeat of Bukola Saraki By Etim Etim

The crushing defeat of Bukola Saraki in the PDP presidential primary election in Port Harcourt over the weekend clearly indicates that he had overestimated his political worth in the last three years. Despite his subterfuge, scheming and deceitful politics during which the Senate failed to perform its core duties, Saraki came a distant third in the race. This dismal performance should be a big humiliation and embarrassment to Saraki and his supporters who had been misled to believing that the Senate President is the ‘Jack Buaer of the Nigerian politics’, as some put it.

Jack Bauer is a fictional character and the lead actor of the Fox television series 24. Within the 24 storyline, Bauer is a key member of the Counter Terrorism Unit, whose job usually involves helping prevent major terrorist attacks on the United States, saving both civilian lives and government administrations. On many occasions, Jack (played by Kiefer Sutherland) does so at great personal expense, as those he thwarts subsequently target him and his loved ones. He is not a crooked agent; however, Bauer’s frequent use of torture to gather information has been controversial.

I do not see any similarity between this epic action hero and Bukola Saraki. One is a superman who tries hard to protect his country from attacks, while the other has spent his entire political career devising evil plans against his fatherland and plotting devilish and selfish schemes to advance his political career.

It’s clear from Saraki’s meagre 317 votes (which came mostly from Kwara delegates) out of the over 4,000 cast at the Port Harcourt convention that the Senate President has no national appeal and broad support. Obviously, he had always relied on his father’s support and goodwill in Kwara State. But to run a successful presidential campaign, Saraki failed to realise that he needed more than the handful of senators who used to escort him to his court trials.

His campaign was dominated by cronies. To emerge Senate President in 2015, he was largely helped by more politically savvy politicians like Senator Godswill Akpabio. In return, Akpabio, a freshman in the Senate, was made the Minority Leader, a rarity in any presidential legislature. If Akpabio had not left the PDP, maybe Saraki would have fared better in the primary.

His defeat will therefore go down in history as the first recorded casualty of Akpabio’s defection to the APC. Saraki’s failure is also tied to the dishonesty of his campaign. In his declaration speech, for instance, he claimed that the youths of Nigeria had called on him to run. No such thing happened. Saraki was simply on an ego trip to satisfy his lust for power and money. He embarrassed the federal government and several institutions of the state with his numerous run-ins with the law. He demeaned the office he occupies when it emerged that the army of thugs he kept back home were involved in violent armed robbery attacks in which scores of policemen and innocent citizens, including a pregnant woman, were killed.

Who wants to pick a presidential candidate that could be standing trial for complicity in armed robbery?

Bukola Saraki has always wanted to go beyond his father’s political milestones. The elder Saraki was the Senate Leader in the Second Republic (1979-1983) during which the son was studying in the UK. Twice the father tried to be president. He failed. On his return to Nigeria, Bukola spent time on the family’s business, notably Societe General Bank, a French-owned bank in which his father had a major shareholding.

The bank was liquidated in 2001 for insider abuse and mismanagement when Bukola was an executive director. Saraki emerged senate president through chicanery and dubious connivance with the major opposition party, the PDP to the utter embarrassment of the governing party, the APC.

It was clear early on that he was more of a mole in the APC than a trusted chieftain. He aligned and worked with the PDP to frustrate President Buhari and refused to confirm many of his appointments. His much anticipated defection to the PDP was also heralded with and surrounded by a lot of artifice and cunning.

Saraki had wanted to goad mass defections of APC senators to the PDP and perhaps instigate the impeachment of the president. In the midst of these, his key political associates and thugs were involved in a deadly armed robbery. Even in this age of Donald Trump, Saraki’s candidacy was extremely tawdry. Some in the PDP hierarchy, I understand, were a little discomfited by the prospect of his win. They could only work behind the scene to undermine him despite assurances of support. The APC should therefore ensure that he doesn’t return to the senate. It is time we closed this chapter.

Etim is a journalist and citizen reporter