What Jonathan Told Saraki About The National Assembly

What Jonathan Told Saraki About The National Assembly

The immediate past president of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, on Wednesday, August 29, lauded the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, for the firm and progressive leadership he has provided for the National Assembly.

The ex-president, who said this when the senate president paid him a courtesy visit at his Maitama Office in Abuja, added that the tremendous support being enjoyed by Saraki from lawmakers in both the Senate and the House of Representatives testified to his leadership ability.

His words: “Senate President, let me use this opportunity to commend your leadership abilities. Looking at what is happening in the country, if not for your strong leadership, probably the National Assembly would have been in chaos and if the National Assembly is in tatters, then of course, democracy is gone.

“I am quite pleased with the kind of relationship you have with the House of Representatives members and how you have been able to hold the National Assembly together because on the day that the parliament was invaded, though the target was the Senate, the House of Representatives members were as active as, if not more active than, the Senators and that cannot happen by chance.

“What we know is that if there is an assault on the Senate. Then it is also seen as an assault on the House of Representatives. If they (House of Representatives members) don’t believe in you, I don’t think some of them would have taken that kind of risk. That commitment shows that they believe in your leadership.”

Earlier, Saraki said his visit was to pay his respect to the ex-president and also to inform him of his formal return to the fold of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The senate president also met with chairmen of 45 political parties last week.

His meeting with influential Nigerians began after he hinted at running for president.

Saraki had said he is “consulting and actively considering it (running for presidency in 2019)”.