Protesters in Kano Demand Saraki’s Resignation

By Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano

Protesters in their hundreds blocked the entrance to the Kano Government House on Thursday demanding the immediate resignation of Senate President, Bukola Saraki.

The protesters under the aegis of Northerners “Arewa Solidarity Front”, accused the senate president of ridiculing President Muhammad Buhari and Nigeria’s international image with budget padding and non-clearance of some federal government political appointees.

Addressing the crowds, the leader of the group Bashir Abdullahi appealed to the national leadership of the APC to take appropriate democratic steps to replace Saraki with a competent person.

He said, “We call on the national leadership of the APC to pursue the immediate removal of the incompetent Senator Bukola Saraki, who emerged senate president through a fraudulent exercise. We urge the national chairman to prevail on our distinguished senators to save the image and restore the glory of the senate by replacing Saraki, who has so far built the image of a leader with too many pending court cases.

“We make bold to say that it is unacceptable to allow the incumbent Senate President to continue to ridicule the president and the country’s international image with avoidable controversies over budgets and clearance of federal government political appointees. We urge the national headquarters of the party to prevail on the Senate to take appropriate democratic steps by pushing for the emergence of a more competent, articulate senate president who is familiar with the constitutional laws of our land and willing to join hands with Mr President in moving this country forward, for the overall interest of the country’’.

In the same degree Mr Abdullahi also announced the group’s unalloyed loyalty for President Buhari, adding that “Our efforts have reached advanced stage, to secure a minimum of 2 million authentic signatures in favour of the vote-of-no confidence on Saraki by Nigerian voters”.

To this end, the group recommended Godswill Akpabio as a replacement of Senate President Bukola Saraki in view of his enormous leadership qualities and experience.

Mr Abdullahi added that the group planned to meet with all the senators from Northern Nigeria to drum up support for the replacement of Saraki with Godswill Akpabio.

The protesters carried placards castigating Senate President Saraki and the senators who decamped to PDP.