The Police had in the course of its investigations interrogated the leadership of the 7th Senate, including former Senate President, Senator David Mark; his deputy (now Saraki’s deputy), Ike Ekweremadu; former Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba; and the Clerk to the National Assembly who is regarded as custodian of the Senate Standing Order. The Police had in its report indicted the management of the National Assembly, especially the Clerk, Salisu Maikasuwa and recommended the prosecution of four suspects over the forgery.

Indeed, the Police said in its report that the Clerk of the Senate, Benedict Efeturi, who doubles as the Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly confirmed in his statement that the Senate Standing Order 2015 as amended was produced on the orders of the Senate leadership without following the amendment procedures as contained in the Senate Standing Orders 2011 as amended. Police said it has forwarded the report of the investigation to the office of the AGF for further action. Some analysts have argued that the confirmation that the 8^th Senate was proclaimed with disreputable Standing Orders has rendered the election of Saraki and that of the principal officers null and void. As a result of the manner of his emergence and his deal with PDP which led to emergence of a member of the opposition party as a deputy Senate President, this magazine gathered that President Muhammadu Buhari has been keeping Saraki at arm’s length. The relationship between Buhari and the former Kwara State Governor became strained following the emergence of Saraki as senate president against the zoning of principal officers in the senate by the leadership of his party, APC.

The Senate President, unlike Speaker Yakubu Dogara who was also elected the Speaker against the wish of his party further worsened his situation with his refusal to abide by the party’s choice for the positions of the majority leader and deputy majority Leader of the Senate and the deputy majority chief whip.

Sources said President Buhari is also not happy with Saraki over the deal with the PDP which led to the emergence of Ekweremadu as the Senate President. It was gathered that the President still considers the emergence of Ekweremadu as high treachery. He has since not been on speaking terms with the senate President, despite several efforts to break the ice.

The President, this magazine gathered has insisted that Saraki should comply with the party’s position in the choice of the four principal officers while the emergence of Saraki remains unacceptable to him.

While the Senate President seems hemmed in on all sides in Abuja, back home in Ilorin, his election as a senator is also being fiercely contested by the PDP candidate for Kwara Central senatorial election, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq.

Abdulrazaq in a petition marked NAT/LEG/EPT/IL/2/2015 filed before the tribunal sitting in Ilorin is challenging Saraki’s victory in the March 28 polls. The petitioner, his aide, Oloyin Adebayo, a forensic analyst, Mrs Nkolly Asika Obumse and state INEC Head of Legal Team, Tunde Salako, had all testified before the tribunal. It is not certain if the election petition tribunal will annul the election of the Senate President, a move which may force him out of the third highest position in Nigeria. But Saraki with the support of mostly PDP Senators is fighting back.

Sources told this magazine that some supporters of the Senate President who are virtually baying for blood are advocating the strong arm tactics of forcing the President to succumb to the whims of the upper chamber by ensuring that his bills, especially the impending screening of Ministerial nominees were denied smooth sails. Some PDP Senators are also talking about violation of constitutional provisions in some of the appointments recently made by the President. It was also believed that the recent probe into the activities of EFCC were part of the moves by Senators to cut the ground off the feet of institutions and personalities they regarded as tools being used by the Presidency and other political interests against Saraki.

Sources said this line of response may not work, as many APC Senators, especially from the Northern part of the

But as Saraki’s hold on the position of the Senate presidency becomes increasingly tenuous by the day with new allegations of corruption and impending trial by the Code of Conduct Tribunal, how long can his friends sustain him in the office?

Link of the story when first published: https://thenewsnigeria.com.ng/wp-admin/post.php?post=31595&action=edit