Obasanjo tells Buhari how to deal with Saraki

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo recently held a close-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in Aso Rock, Abuja and part of what was discussed centred on Senate President Bukola Saraki, according to Sahara Reporters.

Obasanjo had told journalists that he was at the Presidential Villa to relay a message to Buhari, but also had the opportunity to slam the National Assembly members as lacking integrity. The new report from Sahara Reporters indicates that Obasanjo actually gave Buhari some strategies to get embattled Saraki removed from office. Quoting a source privy to the development, the report said at the meeting which lasted about two hours, Obasanjo told Buhari that it would be very difficult for the president to achieve his goal for Nigeria if he continued to tolerate a corrupt leadership at the National Assembly.Obasanjo reportedly told Buhari to spend money if he is truly willing to ease Saraki out of the Senate presidency and weed out other corrupt elements at the National Assembly. He was said to have given Buhari instances when he took such steps as president of the country Recall that some Senate presidents stepped on the banana peels under Obasanjo. Such include the late Chuba Okadigbo and Evan(s) Enwerem. Obasanjo further revealed to Buhari that some PDP members who starched away money in some African countries were currently re-organising to take over power from him. The report said while thanking Obasanjo, Buhari said his conscience would not allow him spend huge sums of the nation’s scarce resources to remove Saraki. He was said to have told Obasanjo of his wish to use legal means to go against lawmakers involved in corruption even though he said he was not happy that some judges had compromised in some instances. The report said Buhari confirmed knowledge of Saraki’s presidential ambition and maintained that he would use legal means to prosecute him for corruption. Speaking further on Senate President Saraki, Buhari told Obasanjo that Saraki was an ambitious man who aspires to become president, but promised he would do everything legally possible to prosecute him for his acts of corruption. Following the meeting, Abubakar Malami, the attorney-general of the federation is said to have begun work on cases against some former governors.